Hello

Today I held my monthly Performance and Accountability Meeting (PAM) with the Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner and Assistant Chief Constable Simon Dobinson.

On the agenda today, were questions based on correspondence from the public about firearms licensing and anti-social behaviour.

I asked why some applications for firearms certificates and for renewals were taking longer to process in Sussex than in some of our neighbouring counties.

ACC Dobinson said that whilst Sussex was rated green for its turnaround time, his team wanted to improve the service and were not complacent. He also said there was a comprehensive review of the system underway and regular engagement and consultation with shooting groups.

New national requirements that arose after the mass shooting in Plymouth and national police guidance have added extra checks into the process and Sussex currently has fewer people in the licensing team than comparable forces.

I said that we will revisit the planned progress and improvements in the service in future scrutiny meetings.

I have heard from residents that with the summer months coming and the weather improving, there are growing concerns about increasing anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Chief Constable Shiner told me that a large part of the 12% increase in reports of ASB could well be down to the public’s increased confidence in coming forward and the measures the force has put in place to make reporting easier.

The investment in our call centre has meant that Sussex Police’s 101 and 999 call handling times are the best in the country and driving up some of the ASB reporting figures.

Chief Constable Shiner also echoed a point I have previously made about ASB involving young people, saying that parents need to know what their children are up to, and take some responsibility for their actions.

Force Focus Friday

You may have seen a ‘Force Focus’ update on my X account (formerly known as Twitter). The update highlights just some of the successes of Sussex Police throughout the week.

This week, after being arrested by Sussex Police, a man has been jailed for an assault on a woman who suffered significant injuries. The perpetrator assaulted the victim throughout the night, leaving her unconscious on multiple occasions.

Sussex Police worked hard to track the man down as he had no fixed address and he is now in prison with a five-year restraining order against the victim and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

A man from Brighton has also been jailed for an assault on a woman, which resulted in a three-hour stand-off with the police. When officers attended the scene, the man was found sat on a ninth-storey window ledge wielding two large knives.

Specialist negotiators engaged with the man, while he threw items from the window, including a mirror and a bedside cabinet.

Following an arrest, he pleaded guilty to affray, criminal damage and one count of causing actual bodily harm and was found guilty of intentional strangulation. He has now been jailed for three years and six months.

Katy Bourne OBE

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner