Sussex Police rated '˜good' in recent assessment

Sussex Police is '˜good' at keeping people safe and reducing crime, according to a recent assessment, Sussex Police said.
Sussex Police is 'good' at keeping people safe and reducing crime, according to the recent assessment.Sussex Police is 'good' at keeping people safe and reducing crime, according to the recent assessment.
Sussex Police is 'good' at keeping people safe and reducing crime, according to the recent assessment.

The assessment was made by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in their recent efficiency report.

Deputy Chief Constable Bernie O’Reilly said: “Sussex Police is an emergency service and we will be there 24/7, preventing crime by working more effectively, embracing technology and working closely with the community and partners.”

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The Deputy Chief Constable added that the force has made HMIC ‘fully aware’ of changes and investment plans, to provide an ‘efficient and effective service’ against a ‘challenging financial backdrop’.

He said: “We have made significant savings of £56m over the last five years whilst fully protecting neighbourhood policing. We have a further £35m we need to save over the next four years.

“The force is increasing the number of firearms officers across Sussex and the number of investigators who help protect vulnerable adults and children.

“It is important to stress that the number of officers who respond to emergency calls for help remains the same - we will always be there when people need us.”

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The Deputy Chief Constable also said roles in the force are being ‘enhanced’ by ‘working differently’ and ‘collaborating with partners’, in order to provide a ‘quicker response’, ‘resolve issues more quickly’, ‘reduce wasted effort’ and work to ‘provide a more effective and consistent service for victims and the local community’ – as the force becomes a smaller organisation.

“Our refocused Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) role has only been in place since July, with the officer working flexibly and providing an effective presence based on where crime occurs.

“They have been using their new powers and enhanced skills to help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

“To continue to keep people safe and ensure resilience, where there are vacancies, we are actively recruiting,” the Deputy Chief Constable said.

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He added: “We have recently run a recruitment campaign for police constables and from November 14, PCSO recruitment will go live, with 30 being sought. By January 2017 we will have 196 PCSOs in the force, which will be the full complement under our new model.”

HMIC independently assesses police forces and policing across activity from neighbourhood teams to serious crime and the fight against terrorism – in the public interest.

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