Sussex Police Report Crime Reduction in Targeted Hotspot Zones

Sussex Police has announced a decrease in crime within designated hotspot areas, following six months of focused interventions. The police force identified 29 specific crime hotspot areas, encompassing locations such as Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton, Crawley, Horsham, Worthing, and Chichester. A reduction of over 14% in crime was observed in these areas during the six-month period since April of this year, coinciding with the launch of the new Hotspot Policing Team, when compared to the corresponding period last year. Police reported that these efforts directly led to the arrest of 161 individuals. The newly established unit is specifically tasked with addressing anti-social behaviour and serious violence across the 29 identified areas characterized by relatively high crime concentrations. Officers conducted over 10,000 hours of additional patrols and engaged with the public tens of thousands of times. During the six-month timeframe, anti-social behaviour offenses decreased by 17.9%, and reports of grievous bodily harm saw a 29.1% reduction, according to police statements. Conversely, knife-related offenses experienced a 10.3% rise, primarily attributed to increases within two newly designated hotspots in the Brighton area. However, in the remaining 27 hotspot areas, knife offenses declined by 22%. Concurrently, over 150 searches were carried out within the hotspot areas, leading to the confiscation of 23 knives, 27 stolen items, and 37 distinct quantities of drugs. Chief Inspector Jim Loader commented that the statistics indicate communities have become “even safer places.” He further stated, “Work in our hotspot areas will continue in earnest.”