Hello

This week marked the first year of operational work carried out by OPAL - a national policing intelligence unit set up in partnership with, and funded by, retailers.

As you will have seen in my previous newsletters, I convened the Pegasus Partnership to: radically improve the way national retailers are able to share intelligence with policing; better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs; and to identify more offenders and bring them to justice.

Since 1 May 2024, OPAL’s specialist policing team within our Pegasus Partnership, has achieved the following results:

• received 153 referrals from retailers and police forces nationally
• identified 313 offenders responsible for £8 million loss to retailers
• linked 105 vehicles to the offending
• made 148 arrests
• 33 court outcomes resulting in custodial sentences totalling nearly 40 years
• 10 deportations where the offenders were foreign nationals
• 128 upskilling sessions run with police, retailers and retail organisations

Thanks to the brilliant work of OPAL and the early financial support of our retail partners, there has been a 50% reduction in offending (since 1 May 2024) from the organised crime gangs identified.

As we look ahead, it is evident we have built a well-positioned and strong foundation for tackling organised retail crime gangs and I look forward to seeing these results continue. I am delighted that the Government can see the value too with an additional £5 million given to extend OPAL’s capacity. This really is a huge step forwards in the fightback against shop theft and one that will benefit all retailers up and down our country.

Supporting victims of crime in Sussex

On Tuesday, my office hosted a meeting for members of our Safer Sussex Funding Network.

I established the Network in 2018 to ensure that services provided for victims and witnesses of crime in Sussex are of the highest quality, as outlined in my Police & Crime Plan.

During the meeting, my Victim Services Commissioning team highlighted how, in 2024/25, over 48,000 victims in Sussex have been referred to 68 support services commissioned by my office. This includes more than 15,000 victims of domestic abuse and over 1,300 victims of fraud.

Members of the Network also discussed this new government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, which is currently being developed and a draft is expected in Spring 2025.

Members of our network have had the opportunity to be involved in the consultation for the UK strategy, ensuring victims’ voices are put at the centre of future decision-making.

During the afternoon, the Network heard about Sussex Police’s new portal which will help victims of crime receive enhanced communication and interaction with the police. Through the portal, victims of crime can have regular and accessible updates on their case and can access helpful resources.

To round-off the meeting, members of the Safer Sussex Funding Network were given a presentation by Damon Parsons, a forensic psychiatrist. The presentation focused on understanding online harm for victims and witnesses of crime.

Holding these meetings and bringing members of my Network together is extremely important, providing the opportunity for collaboration and sharing of good practice. Whilst many of the services in the Network support people of different ages, demographics and crime types, all services have a shared objective to support victims in Sussex to cope and recover.

Our victim services are a lifeline to many in our county and, earlier this year, I stepped in to allocate an additional £100,000 for victim support organisations in our Network so they could cover the costs incurred from the unnecessary National Insurance hike. This additional funding will prevent job losses and help our Sussex services continue the outstanding work they do.

Katy Bourne OBE
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner