Arundel and South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith, has welcomed news that Sussex Police has recruited an additional 679 officers since 2018.
Funded by the Government’s plan to recruit 20,000 new police officers across the country and a small precept increase, Sussex Police now have a greater police presence in every community than they did four years ago. 429 of these officers have been funded through the Uplift Programme since 2020.
Since 2019 neighbourhood crime in Sussex is down 32.8% compared to a 20.7% reduction nationally. Residential burglary is down over 40%, and theft from the person is down 32%.
Sussex now has a dedicated Business Crime Team with 10 specialist officers and an expanded Rural Crime Team of 22 officers. The extra officers have also enabled the establishment of a Specialist Enforcement Unit that has led to cash and drug seizures of £1.3 million, taken 160 weapons off our streets and made more than 650 arrests.
Andrew Griffith MP said:
“It is brilliant news that we now have more Police Officers in Sussex keeping us safe day and night, and that local crime continues to fall.
Backing our local police and making our community safer has been one of my top priorities since I was elected, and it a victory for residents that real progress is being made on this issue.”
ENDS
Notes:
- To read the Government’s Beating Crime Plan please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beating-crime-plan
- To read the national statistics on crime, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/crime-statistics
