Policing of protests, live facial recognition and police custody arrangements to be discussed at police scrutiny meeting

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne will question Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner on a range of pressing issues at the next Performance & Accountability Meeting (PAM) on Thursday, 18 December 2025.

Policing protests in Sussex

With demonstrations continuing in Brighton & Hove over Palestine, in Crowborough around a migrant camp and in other locations across the county, PCC Bourne will scrutinise Sussex Police’s preparedness to manage these additional resourcing demands. Key issues include: balancing the rights of protesters and counter-protesters; engaging with groups to keep events peaceful and lawful; and ensuring officers receive the right training to judge whether language or actions at protests remain within the law.

Live Facial Recognition Vans

Following the introduction of live facial recognition vans by Sussex Police last month, PCC Bourne will seek assurances on how this technology is being deployed, monitored and scrutinised to ensure fairness, legality and proportionality. Questions will focus on public engagement, officer training and measures to address public concerns around potential bias.

Preventing suicides in and following police custody

PCC Bourne will examine Sussex Police’s approach to preventing deaths and suicides in custody, following the latest Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) report. While no deaths were recorded in Sussex custody centres in 2024/25, the meeting will assess police policies for learning from national recommendations, monitoring the risk for these types of incidents and supporting staff wellbeing in the high-pressure custody environment.

Custody Staffing Levels

Volunteers from PCC Katy Bourne’s Independent Custody Visiting Scheme have raised concerns about staffing shortages across Sussex custody centres. With a new shift pattern not due until May 2026, PCC Bourne will ask what interim plans are in place to maintain resilience, manage risk and ensure detainee care? The discussion will also revisit training accessibility under the revised shift pattern.

Police Funding

The meeting will cover the recently announced provisional police grant settlement for 2026/27 and explore its impact on the Force’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy and savings requirements for the year ahead.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks

A backlog of DBS applications has been a standing item on the PAM agenda. Sussex Police has made significant progress in reducing numbers by 46% compared to last year. PCC Bourne will request an update on performance and plans to maintain this positive trajectory.

Members of the public can watch the meeting live from 13:00 on Thursday 18 December via the PCC’s webcasting platform: https://sussex-pcc.public-i.tv/core/portal/home