Hello

This week marks National Rural Crime Action Week. It’s a week hosted by the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN) and highlights the important work of Police & Crime Commissioners across the country as we help to combat rural crime.

When we say ‘rural crime’, many might think it’s just about fighting crime that happens on big areas of land, such as fields or farms but the impact goes far beyond that. Rural crime includes any crime or anti-social behaviour that impinges on the effectiveness of an agricultural business such as farming, forestry, equine and game shoots.

It also includes heritage crime, tackling offences which harm the value of heritage assets and their settings, as well as environmental crime such as fly tipping, unlicensed waste carrying and hazardous waste.

Protecting animals and plants is also why tackling rural crime is important - combatting hare coursing, illegal fox hunting, puppy farms and protecting the natural habitat.

Over 62% of Sussex is classed as ‘rural’ or ‘super-rural’ and, unsurprisingly, it was important to local residents that we establish a dedicated Rural Crime Team (RCT) to protect our wildlife and make people and businesses feel safer. Our RCT was created in June 2020 and you can read about some of the team’s most recent successes on the Sussex Police news site.

You can also watch the NRCN’s video about the Action Week by clicking the play icon on the picture above.

Funding helping to make Eastbourne safer

As mentioned in my previous newsletters, money that I have secured from the previous round of the Government's Safer Streets fund has now been distributed across Sussex, helping to tackle anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls and make environmental improvements.

This week, members of my team joined partners in the Devonshire area of Eastbourne at a ‘Day of Action’ to see how this funding has helped to improve safety in the area.

Over the past 18 months, the funding has been used by partners including: Neighbourhood First; East Sussex Fire & Rescue; Sussex Police; Probation Service; drug and substance misuse services; and Mediation Plus; to deliver multi-agency community safety initiatives across Sussex. This joined-up approach has resulted in an initiative called ‘Quality Streets’.

‘Quality Streets’ focuses on five streets in the Devonshire area with the most anti-social behaviour, neighbourhood crime and violence.

Alongside ‘Quality Streets’ and the ongoing work in the Devonshire area, there has also been an increase in mediation funding and activity, which is helping people with unresolved issues to mend their disputes and avoid the unnecessary use of valuable police time.

Funding from my office allowed for a role to be developed that has helped agencies to come together, especially those offering specialist support. The Devonshire Ward Community Development Worker has been employed by East Sussex County Council to help with community resilience and improved quality of life within the area.

Additional funding secured from the Safer Streets fund is going towards improving safety within Eastbourne Town Centre including: safety training for door staff; street pastor schemes; additional CCTV; and targeted anti-social behaviour and violence against women/girls police patrols.

Katy Bourne OBE

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner