Violence against women and girls, fraud prevention and workforce morale top agenda at February Police Accountability Meeting

This month’s meeting follows the publication of several significant national reports and policy changes that directly impact policing in Sussex.

In December 2025, the Government released its long‑awaited, cross‑departmental Freedom from Violence and Abuse Strategy, outlining an ambition to halve violence and abuse against women and girls within a decade.

PCC Bourne will ask how Sussex Police has reflected on this national strategy and what changes women and girls in Sussex can expect to see as a result. She will also ask how the Force intends to measure improvements in policing responses to VAWG going forward.

The first report of Part 2 of the Angiolini Inquiry, also published in December 2025, sets out 13 new recommendations aimed at preventing sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces. Three of these recommendations specifically require action by Chief Constables and PCCs. A key focus of the February PAM will be Recommendation 21, calling for the national roll‑out of Project Vigilant by April 2026. PCC Bourne will ask for an update on Sussex Police’s local implementation plans and how this initiative will help disrupt predatory behaviour in the night‑time economy.

PCC Bourne will also scrutinise Sussex Police’s preparedness to meet Recommendations 23 and 24, covering leadership and performance oversight in preventing sexual offending in public spaces, the use of Designing Out Crime Officers and the continued roll‑out of Operation Soteria, the national operating model for improving rape and serious sexual offence investigations.

2026 marks 10 years since PCC Katy Bourne first funded Specialist Fraud Caseworkers within Victim Support. These dedicated roles work closely with Sussex Police’s nationally recognised Operation Signature, providing one‑to‑one support to vulnerable victims of fraud. With romance fraud referrals from Sussex Police to Victim Support rising by 5.5% in 2025, PCC Bourne will seek an update on the Force’s recent intensification activity and ask how Sussex Police is responding to emerging threats such as the use of artificial intelligence in fraud. She will also ask what the launch of the City of London Police’s new national reporting service, Report Fraud, means for Sussex residents.

Following the Home Secretary’s announcement in January of the largest reforms to policing in 200 years, PCC Bourne will question Sussex Police Chief Officers on current morale and the pressures faced by the workforce. Topics for discussion will include:

• How morale is measured
• The support available to officers and staff
• The relationship between chief officers and staff associations
• The biggest positive and negative influences on morale

At last month’s PAM, Sussex Police reported continued reductions in its Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) backlog. PCC Bourne will ask for further updates on performance and the steps being taken to sustain these improvements.

Commenting ahead of the meeting Katy Bourne said: “These meetings are about transparency and accountability.

“This month’s PAM agenda covers some of the most pressing issues for women and girls and victims of fraud.

“It is vital that residents can see how national policy is directly influencing local policing.

Residents deserve clear answers about how their police service is responding to keep them safe.”

The meeting will be live‑streamed from 13:00 on the PCC’s webcasting platform: https://sussex-pcc.public-i.tv