Vote for our fantastic Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, Katy Bourne, to be re-elected. Voting in person is on Thursday the 2nd May from 7am to 10pm at your local polling station. You will need photo ID such as a driving licence, passport or bus pass.
Katy says:
As your current Police and Crime Commissioner, I have the experience, proven track record, trusted national voice and clear plan that is keeping us Safer in Sussex.
As your PCC, I have robustly held the police to account on behalf of residents, successfully supported victims of crime and invested significantly in frontline policing.
SOME ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR:
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Driven the biggest rise in police officer numbers in over a decade. Sussex Police now has a headcount of 3,245 police officers and last year, 21% more serious crimes were solved.
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Restored neighbourhood policing and recruited more PCSOs - total neighbourhood crime is down 23% in Sussex and residential burglary is down 33% (cf. pre-pandemic levels 2019)
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Sussex Police is now in the top performing forces in England & Wales for answering 999 and 101 non-emergency calls - 98.1% of all 999 calls received were answered within the required 10 seconds making Sussex Police the highest performer in the country.
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Addressed business crime, especially shoplifting, by establishing a dedicated Business Crime Unit with solved rates up to 69.9% and investing in the Safer Sussex Business Partnership. Nationally, Katy has led and launched Project Pegasus - a ground-breaking partnership between the country's top retailers and policing to tackle organised crime gangs operating across the retail sector.
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Delivered on rural crime concerns by expanding the Rural Crime Team
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Ensured Sussex Police treat road safety and antisocial behaviour seriously with innovative programmes like the Immediate Justice pilot
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Directed £ millions to support victims of crime, divert young people from harm and helped communities protect themselves
MY PLAN TO CUT CRIME - MORE POLICE, SAFER STREETS:
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Continue cutting crime, catching criminals, fighting drugs gangs, county lines and serious violence and reducing re-offending - making everyone Safer in Sussex
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Make policing visible, especially in our towns and villages, and tackle anti-social behaviour by increasing the number of Hotspot Patrols
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More investment into Roads Policing - a) establish a 'Fatal Five Roads Unit' to tackle anti-social driving, speeding and save lives b) drive the Vision Zero approach by chairing the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership with the aim of cutting fatal and serious collisions by half by 2035.
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Make shops and businesses safer places to work and visit - a) introduce electronic tagging for prolific shoplifters b) further improve the police response to shoplifting and encourage more retailers to report c) continue supporting 'abuse against shop workers' to become a standalone offence
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Give our Rural Crime Team more tech capability
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Support victims of crime, especially our elderly and young, and protect our vulnerable from all forms of abuse - continue introducing innovation to keep women and girls safe in our public spaces
This election matters.
Your PCC is responsible for setting the £395 million budget, has powers to appoint and dismiss the Chief Constable and must ensure residents' views are represented when setting policing priorities.
We've made real progress to deliver - let's not put that work at risk now.
