Our Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne OBE, this week held a successful ‘Introduction to Immediate Justice’ event involving Sussex Police and 35 representatives of local community groups, retailers and partners.
Immediate Justice is funded by the Government as part of its Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Action Plan, where Sussex is one of ten pilot schemes across the UK designed to give victims a say in how offenders visibly make amends for their behaviour.
The aim is to reduce reoffending and increase confidence in reporting by showing the public that ASB is being actively tackled in Sussex. Offenders are encouraged to accept the impact of their ASB and carry out an activity to repair the harm or damage caused - including cleaning graffiti, litter picking or helping to maintain public spaces.
Repeated ASB can be corrosive to individuals and local areas, including the retail sector, and I don’t underestimate its impact. "That’s why I’m pleased to be pioneering Immediate Justice in Sussex, firstly working with partners in Brighton & Hove and then rolling out the scheme across the county", says Katy.
At the event, Chief Inspector Andy Saville, Immediate Justice Lead for Sussex Police introduced the concept behind the scheme and how it will be run.
Have your say
In May, Katy launched a new survey to find out how safe residents feel in their local communities across Sussex. The survey closes a week from now, on the 20th of October.
Your say is important and the results will be used to help inform future funding decisions and shared with Sussex Police to help with their patrol plans and engagement.
If you haven’t already completed the survey, please spend a few minutes doing so by completing the online form. It can be completed anonymously.
