Summer initiative cracks down on town centre crime and anti-social behaviour

As Sussex gets busy this summer there will be increased activity by police and partners as Sussex joins the Safer Streets Summer town centre initiative.

This is a national campaign supported by the Home Office to tackle crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour in town centres throughout the summer and until the end of September.

Expect to see increased visible police patrols and officers working directly with businesses and the community to tackle issues.

Increased police presence, quick response times and targeted action will see police, councils and other partners targeting concerns that affect communities most.

The initiative to create safer, thriving town centres is supported by hotspot policing funding.

Safer Streets Summer follows on from the success of hotspot policing in Sussex, fully implemented a year ago after being piloted in the county.  

The real positives are that hotspot policing has seen sustained reductions in serious violence and anti-social behaviour in targeted areas across Sussex.

From April to June hotspot policing has added 6,809 hours of additional dedicated patrols, complimenting the work of local teams across Sussex and strengthening connections. These extra patrols have led to engagement with 12,885 members of the public and led to 75 arrests.

These dedicated patrols include those by Night Safety Marshalls in Brighton, Eastbourne, Worthing and Crawley who engage with vulnerable people and intervene to safeguard people.

Continuing to report anti-social behaviour and shoplifting where you see it allows police to obtain a more accurate picture of the demand so that they can focus patrols at peak times to reduce harm caused to the community.

As well as patrols and partner activity to disrupt crime and provide reassurance, there is close working with partners to increase enforcement and prevention. These include public space protection orders that address street drinking and begging as well as support for the vulnerable.  

Having built stronger relationships with local businesses there’s a more efficient and effective response to business crime, shoplifting and assaults that is leading to successful outcomes and court results.

The last three months of targeted action in Sussex’ hotspot areas is continuing to make a real difference to businesses and communities.

In just 30 days a hotspot team dedicated to Brighton, made 29 arrests, mostly for drug supply including one prolific offender, and they ensured three knives and an offensive weapon were taken off the streets.  

Since the start of the Safer Streets Summer initiative, officers in Hastings arrested and remanded a woman for 19 thefts and a man for three business burglaries.  Hastings business crime reduction partnership said it feels supported by the targeted investigations into the most persistent shoplifters, while Marks and Spencer said the regular patrols in the town centre helps deter shoplifters and provide reassurance.

In Crawley, officers undertaking Safer Streets Summer patrols over three days visited 21 shops, inside and outside the County Mall, which had been targeted by shoplifters and at risk of antisocial behaviour, as well visited town centre licensed premises.

During the summer all town centre teams across Sussex, alongside partners, will be holding a number of engagement events in towns across Sussex to educate, enforce and protect the community from anti-social behaviour, violent crime and business-related offences.

There will also be diversionary activities for young people, using these areas in positive ways to help drive down crime and make the areas safe.

Chief Superintendent Katy Woolford said: “Sussex Police is committed to keeping town centres safe all year round and as we see the annual seasonal increases in criminality we will be  concentrating resources over the summer period to reduce this in Sussex.

“Officers and partners across Sussex will be working hard to find and prosecute those who continue to commit crime and impact the communities who live and work in Sussex as well as working to prevent crime occurring in the first place.

“You’ll also see officers patrolling the streets talking to those in the community. Please take the time to stop and speak to them and learn about what we’re doing in your local area and how we can all work together to keep Sussex safe.”

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “In April last year, my office secured £1.4 million from the Home Office to expand policing efforts in 29 areas with higher crime rates and anti-social behaviour across our county.

“I’m delighted that this has led to a significant reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour - proof that targeted and visible policing works.

“Building better relationships with retailers and businesses and encouraging reporting of crime has led to more accurate and timely data sharing, meaning police can identify high-risk locations and work proactively to reduce crime in these key areas.

“I look forward to seeing more positive results from Sussex Police and partners throughout the summer months.”