‘Police need to make public feel even safer’

Katy Bourne has called for chief constable Giles York to show that £17 million extra police precept from council tax will be put to good use after inspectors found they needed to improve how they tackled antisocial behaviour and prevented crime.

The force was rated “good” overall but it was told it required improvement for public engagement.

Ms Bourne said: “The report does highlight public engagement as an area where the force falls short. Part of the problem is that the force is spending less time engaging with local communities which means that, whilst it understands risks to most communities, it doesn’t understand people’s specific concerns; and more puzzling, it doesn’t understand why antisocial behaviour has fallen in some areas.

“At a local and county level, the force has clearly not communicated some of the benefits and successes of the new Prevention Teams. This is doubly frustrating when we have seen excellent work by the Community Investigation Teams supporting local police commanders.

“I want to thank all the officers and staff in Sussex Police for their professionalism and patience through the changes of the past three years. I know how dedicated they are to public service.

“Although their efforts are keeping Sussex a safe place to live and work is considerable, there is still a public confidence gap that the force needs to close through, visible and proportionate local policing.

“I have asked the Chief Constable and his command team to show how they will ensure that Sussex residents can feel safe at home, in public spaces, at night time and on the roads.

“Sussex Police are revising a plan for the next four years detailing where the investment from this year’s precept will go, how that affects officer numbers and where they are deployed.

“I am confident that, if the force makes this investment into local, neighbourhood policing, it will be reflected in improved public confidence and an improved rating at the next inspection.”