For years, the Conservatives and the Conservative Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, had cut the police numbers. Now, since the Labour Government has given the police more money, numbers have started to rise again.
In the meantime, a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that the force did not have enough capacity to make sure it progressed a large number of open serious crime investigations.
The inspectorate found Sussex Police to be “adequate” in most areas of policing, adding it was pleased with improvements made in the past year.
Do we see the trend? Our Police force has improved once the Labour Government decided it needed more funds. Meanwhile the SPCC has tried to claim credit for putting more Police on the beat again, forgetting she took them off the street in the first place. It seems like hypocrisy to me.
The inspectorate found Sussex Police to be “adequate” in most areas of policing, adding it was pleased with improvements made in the past year, or since Labour took power.
According to the report, one in 20 victim-based crimes dealt with by Sussex Police in the year ending 30 June 2024 resulted in a charge or court summons.
The report cited a lack of capacity to progress long-standing investigations as a contributing factor to the low number of crimes being solved.
According to the report, black people were 6.1 times more likely to be subject to a stop and search than white people in the county – higher than the national average rate of 3.6 times for England and Wales.