Hello

Over the weekend we saw the clocks go back, which means darker evenings now winter is on the horizon.

Sadly, at this time of year, we also see an increase in burglaries in residential areas. At my last Performance and Accountability Meeting I spoke in-depth with Deputy Chief Constable McLaren about what Sussex Police are doing to tackle this and how residents can better protect their homes.

DCC McLaren informed me that Operation Secure is taking place now that our evenings are darker (previously known as Operation Magpie). This includes visible patrols in residential areas and offering advice to residents on how to protect their homes. Sussex Police has created useful guidance with simple steps to protect your home which you can find on the Sussex Police website.

DCC McLaren reassured me that Sussex Police has a robust response to residential burglary and, within the past year, there has been a 30% increase in successful outcomes for reported crimes - this means that offenders have been caught and sanctioned appropriately. You may recall that there is now a national requirement for police to attend all residential burglary reports and I'm pleased to say Sussex Police are succeeding in this area. 98% of reports are attended and the 2% only occurs through people reporting historical crime long after they happened.

Today also marks Halloween, a time for trick or treating, pumpkin lanterns and scary costumes. Some people, however, are understandably not as enthusiastic about their doors being knocked on by strangers in make-up and costumes and, like Sussex Police, I hope this year’s Halloween celebrations do not result in any anti-social behaviour.

We are already into the start of bonfire season with more than 50 events held across the county and Sussex Police are supporting bonfire societies to ensure public safety. They all culminate in the biggest bonfire night on 5 November which is held in Lewes. Last year, despite the large numbers of revellers descending upon Lewes, there were only four arrests. Sussex Police and partners work very hard to keep Bonfire as safe as possible for participants and residents alike. You can read more about this on my website.

Preparing for winter

My office works closely with the Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) a dedicated team chaired by Sussex Police which brings together emergency services, councils, utilities and other essential public and voluntary services to work in partnership to support the local community during incidents and emergencies.

Over the past few years, we've seen adverse weather in Sussex causing disruption to homes and water supply. With the wetter, darker months settling in, the SRF are releasing guidance to Sussex residents to prepare for and cope with a range of possible scenarios from extreme weather events, flooding and power outages.

This also covers awareness of available help, including the Priority Services Register (PSR) which is free to join. Being on the PSR means utility companies know someone may need extra help during an outage, such as priority updates, doorstep checks and bottled water delivery. A wide range of people are eligible, including people over the age of 60 and people who have health or care needs, young children or those who rely on medical equipment.

Other guidance includes having a 'just in case' bag containing essentials, medicine, contact details of your local GP and other means should your living situation be temporarily disrupted.

All information can be found on the Sussex Police website. It is reassuring to see all the planning, preparation and rehearsals SRF undertake all year (often unseen) to support Sussex residents in the event of any emergency.

Katy Bourne OBE
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner