News and Events

The Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Latest Update

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Hello

This week marks national Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week. This year the theme is ‘It’s Not Ok’.

Rape Crisis England and Wales recently reported that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 18 men have been raped or sexually assaulted since the age of 16 and 1 in 6 children have experienced sexual abuse in their lifetime.

In my office, we have a dedicated Victims Commissioning team who work with numerous service providers across our county, giving help and support to those in need.

It’s always helpful to raise awareness of support services during weeks like this but we should be mindful that abuse and violence happens all year round, leaving long-lasting and often life-changing impacts on victims.

That’s why it’s so important that police, service providers and our criminal justice partners take victims and survivors of sexual violence seriously, allowing their voices and experiences to be heard, especially when designing services for them.

Tackling sexual violence and ensuring we have high-quality services in place remains a priority in my Police and Crime Plan for the next four years.

Whilst we are, sadly, experiencing the highest volume of reported serious sexual offences since 2016, it is nevertheless reassuring to see that Sussex Police solved more rape offences last year than 2022 and 2023 combined.

In the financial year 2024/25, funding from my office has provided over £1.6million to 11 organisations who provide services supporting women, men and children who have been victims of sexual violence or abuse. Nearly 3,500 individuals have been supported by these services since April last year.

You can read more about the week on my website.

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On Monday, The Government announced additional measures to protect victims.

Offenders, convicted of controlling or coercive behaviour and sentenced to 12 months or longer, will now be automatically managed under multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA).

MAPPA ensures that police, probation and prison services work together with other agencies to protect the public by managing the risks posed by violent, sexual and terrorist offenders living in our communities.

Previously, those who had committed controlling or coercive behaviour, were managed through multi-agency arrangements on a discretionary basis only so it is good news to see these behaviours are now being recognised for what they are - unacceptable and extremely harmful.

Katy

 

Katy Bourne OBE
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner

 

Sussex set to get a mayor

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You may have heard the Government’s recent announcement about devolution which includes the postponement of this year’s local elections with the potential for Mayoral elections in 2026.

Under current proposals, if Sussex gets a Mayor, the role and responsibilities of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner will be assumed by the new Mayor. As a result, I will be seeking to ensure that, under a mayoral model of police governance, the unique local identity and character of our police force is preserved and the public’s voice in policing will continue to be strongly articulated across all of Sussex, including our rural towns and villages. To this end, I will be seeking nomination for Mayoral candidacy in due course.

My office is already in dialogue with the Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and we fully expect to be working in collaboration with our local authorities as the devolution process moves forward.