Tackling crime across the city and the county
Since 2010, with the exception of fraud, we have seen crime cut by 55 per cent.
This is a great testament to our police force, particularly in Sussex where our local Police and Crime Plan seeks to target the issues that affect the quality of life for all residents, including tackling antisocial behaviour, shoplifting and dangerous driving.
In addition, since 2019 over 500 more officers have joined Sussex Police thanks to the Government's national recruitment drive.
This means more police on our streets helping to keep you safe.
As MP for Chichester I have led on initiatives to stop criminals in our area, from founding the Rural Crime Taskforce to working with our police to crack down on dangerous driving.
However, speaking to shopkeepers and workers across Chichester I know that many do continue to be impacted by crime such as theft and abuse, particularly after Chichester District Council made cuts to CCTV in the city centre last year.
Chichester BID are working with their partners across the city to deliver an evolved Crime Reduction partnership, supporting all businesses in their fight against crime and disorder.
I'm pleased to confirm that this work will also be supplemented by tough new Government action to crackdown on retail crime offences.
Assaulting a retail worker will be made a standalone criminal offence in the Criminal Justice Bill.
Perpetrators could be sent to prison for up to 6 months and receive an unlimited fine.
The Government is also stepping up action to clamp down on offenders who repeatedly target the country’s high streets, with serial offenders forced to wear tags to track their movements.
Finally, an additional £55.5 million has been made available for facial recognition technology to identify offenders and disrupt organised crime.
This will include £4 million for bespoke mobile units that can be deployed to high streets across the country with live facial recognition used in crowded areas to identify people wanted by the police.
I raised residents’ concerns about shoplifting and other issues relating to antisocial behaviour at a recent meeting with our excellent Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne.