TIM DREW: Police recruitment drive aims for diversity

They are aiming to attract 200 police officers each year for the next four years and this has been made possible by the public’s willingness to pay more for local policing. The majority of Sussex residents who responded to the PCC’s precept consultation said they would be prepared to pay more and the commissioner wants to see the extra income going into visible and effective local policing.

She said: ”I have always maintained that protecting neighbourhood policing is a top priority because it matters so much to local people. It’s about keeping the community in policing and the police in the community, providing a reassuring police presence.”

The additional funding that the rise in the police precept provides also means that the force has to save less money over the coming years so 476 police posts can be protected that would otherwise have been lost.

Sussex Police wants to ensure it reflects the communities it serves, so the PCC has strongly encouraged more applications from as wide a spectrum of communities as possible, and more applications from women. The application window is open until midnight on Monday, March 5.

Meanwhile, Action Fraud has warned that fraudsters are attempting to lure victims who are looking for cheap flights abroad. They are targeting individuals who are seeking to travel to African nations and the Middle East, particularly those wishing to travel in time for popular public and religious holidays. Action Fraud recommends that the booking company’s membership of a recognised trade body such as ABTA or ATOL, be checked – you can verify membership of ABTA online at www.abta.com – and that payment be made by debit or credit card wherever possible.

• The Offington Neighbourhood Panel meets at 10am on Thursday, March 10, at Thomas A’Becket PHS in Rectory Road.

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