£600,000 Funding To Tackle Knife Crime In Sussex Hotspots

Targeted police patrols, increased CCTV and youth intervention programmes are being introduced in Brighton, Eastbourne and Crawley as part of a crackdown on knife crime.

Four areas across Sussex are receiving additional police resources following a successful bid for £600,000 from the Home Office's Knife Crime Concentration Fund.

The funding, secured by Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne alongside Sussex Police and local partners, will support targeted enforcement, prevention work and improvements to public spaces.

Two areas of Brighton, one in Eastbourne and one in Crawley have been identified for the additional measures.

Depending on local needs, these will include increased patrols, CCTV, Live Facial Recognition deployments, improved street lighting and intervention programmes for young people at risk of becoming involved in knife crime.

Brighton city centre will also benefit from additional Night Safety Marshals, with eight now available on Friday and Saturday nights.

The announcement follows a reported 47% reduction in knife crime across the targeted areas over the past six months, compared with the previous 12-month monthly average.

The estimated cost of knife crime has also fallen by 42.7% over the same period.

Chief Inspector Jim Loader, Sussex Police's lead for serious violence and knife crime, said:

"Knife crime continues to have a devastating impact on victims, those closest to them and the wider community and Sussex Police remains committed in its efforts to catch the criminals perpetrating this violence on our streets.

"Through our analysis, we have a better understanding of the underlying causes of knife crime in specific areas of Brighton, Eastbourne and Crawley and we are adapting our response to address these.

"The intense, problem-solving action, with the support of our partners, is tailored to address the issues, reduce criminality in the long term and make our streets safer."

Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne welcomed the reduction but warned against complacency.

She said:

"The reduction in knife crime we're already seeing shows that targeted action works but one young person carrying a knife is still one too many.

"This funding gives us an important opportunity to go further, enabling the police to take targeted action in the areas where it can have the greatest impact, to keep people safe and prevent violence before it happens."

In Crawley, the programme is supporting youth outreach through music organisation AudioActive in Memorial Gardens, while local authorities and community organisations are working alongside police to address the causes of serious violence.

Sussex Police is also encouraging young people to report information about knife carriers anonymously through Fearless, part of the Crimestoppers charity.