Hello

Yesterday, an independent review on prison sentencing, led by former Justice Secretary David Gauke, was published.

The review outlines some contentious changes. There will be a presumption against short prison sentences of 12 months or less, meaning that those previously handed sentences for shop theft, assault or burglary for example, may fall into this category.

Those facing longer sentences, like drug dealing or child abuse, will be eligible for release after serving just a third of their sentence if they behave well in prison so, for criminals who plead guilty and already get a third reduction in sentence, this new framework presents a further reduction opportunity for them. 

The government insists these changes are being put in place due to prison capacity - it is projected that, by 2028, England and Wales will require an additional 9,500 prison places. However, there is no mention of deporting the 10,800 foreign national offenders currently clogging up our prisons, which could certainly alleviate the capacity issue, nor is there any mention of building further prisons.

Instead, under the proposed reforms, large numbers of prisoners could be released early and put under house arrest and monitored by electronic tags. Whilst I have long called for our persistent offenders of shop theft to be tagged, a mass-tagging programme of this scale will not work unless there is a substantive oversight infrastructure there to support it. We certainly do not currently have this in place and I am concerned that re-offending rates will increase exponentially and place even further strain upon tight police resources.

I am exploring the options for a small pilot for tagging persistent shoplifters in Sussex to begin later this year but I am under no illusions that it will require substantial local support if it is to succeed. Earlier this month, I wrote about this pilot in the Daily Telegraph and you can read more on their website.

Whilst it is clear that some reform is needed, the impact of both early release and fewer custodial sentences will be very significant and, like many people, I want to be reassured that the balance of deterrence and public safety does not swing too far in favour of perpetrators simply because of a lack of prison space.

With the early release of prisoners often linked to re-offending, it is more vital than ever that programmes are in place to prevent this. Here in Sussex, we work closely with Sussex Pathways to promote the successful rehabilitation of offenders, ultimately leading to safer streets and a reduction in the cost of crime. My office also continues to fund our High Harm Perpetrator Programme which identifies and targets the most active and dangerous serial perpetrators of domestic abuse, uncovering and addressing the reasons why they offend and helping them to change behaviours.

Victims must be at the heart of this reform and it is important they are at the forefront of any decision-making. I am pleased that Sussex Police have begun trialling a new Victim Portal which keeps victims of crime up-to-date on the progress of investigations and allows them to message the officer in charge of their case, allowing for quick and efficient communication.

Sussex Performance & Accountability Meeting

On Thursday, I held my monthly Performance & Accountability meeting with Chief Constable Shiner.

I began this month's meeting discussing the government’s proposed Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, designed to restore confidence in policing and increase safety in town centres and high streets this summer.

I scrutinised Chief Constable Shiner’s plans to tackle street crime, shop theft and anti-social behaviour and asked how the Force are ensuring they maximise all opportunities to work with local councils, schools, health services, businesses and transport organisations.

It was noted that, in order to reduce anti-social behaviour carried out by young people, Sussex Police have a range of diversionary activities, including the Reboot programme that provides meaningful opportunities to young people, as well as specialist Neighbourhood Youth Officers who go into schools.

I also asked how additional activity, such as the patrols being undertaken throughout the summer months, will be measured? Sussex Police confirmed they will use new technology, such as their 'hotspot app', where officers record in live time their exact locations, their patrol times, what engagement and enforcement activity they are carrying out and the number of arrests made in the area.

Last month, the Office for National Statistics published crime statistics for England and Wales which highlighted that knife-enabled crime increased by 2% across the calendar year of 2024. This equated to an additional 1,174 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument compared to 2023.

I asked the Chief Constable and her senior team if this nationally increasing trend is apparent in Sussex and how Sussex Police continue to tackle knife crime?

They highlighted Sussex Police's support for the national knife crime campaign, Operation Spectre but also noted Sussex's specific campaign for tackling knife-crime, Operation Safety, which runs throughout the year.

Under Op Safety, Sussex Police’s activity includes: knife sweeps; stop and search tactics; amnesty bins; close working with our Violence Reduction Partnership; knife test purchases; gathering intel on illegal knife sales; as well as working closely with partners like Border Force.

The Chief also reminded the public that, for any correct and up-to-date information on police statistics and data, the Office for National Statistics is the most reliable source.

You can watch the full meeting on my webcasting site.

Katy Bourne OBE
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner