The best way to tackle the complexities of Cyber-Crime through the criminal justice system were the main focus of a multi-agency conference held yesterday (Wednesday 18 January).
The conference, which was held at Adastral Park in Ipswich, was organised by the Norfolk and Suffolk Local Criminal Justice Board and supported by partners across the criminal justice system within both counties, along with Suffolk County Council.

The event focussed on a number of issues including E-Safety for young people and featured a presentation from Lorin LaFave whose son Breck Bednar was groomed and murdered by someone he met online.

The conference also focussed on the impact Cyber-Crime is having on the local criminal justice system and included speakers from the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and County Council, whilst representatives from the University of Suffolk gave an insight to children’s everyday experiences online.

Delegates heard how cyber space provides huge opportunities for those in our communities but it’s also important we protect ourselves from the risks. The Office of National Statistics suggest adults in England and Wales experienced an estimated 3.6 million incidents of fraud between March 2015 and March 2016 and more than half (52 per cent) of these were cyber related.

There were also more than two millions incidents of computer misuse and 681,000 cases of unauthorised access to personal information (including hacking), whilst 39 per cent of people who said they have been victims of online crime hadn’t reported it to police.

Jenny Hopkins, Chair of the Local Criminal Justice Board for Norfolk and Suffolk said: “The threat from cyber-crime and cyber enabled crime is a very real one. It is essential that we work together in Norfolk and Suffolk to raise awareness and tackle this threat. ”

“It is important for us to understand how technology is misused in order to be able to tackle the vast number of crimes which have a ‘cyber’ element to them. This can be anything from online grooming, stalking or bullying, to fraud and cyber security in the home and business environment. Being safe online is a vital part of our everyday lives. It is important to continue to share ideas and best practice as we deal with the current and future challenges the continually growing cyber age could present.”