“We will respond robustly to violence against women and girls”: New District Commander for Chichester and Arun addresses concerns in Bognor Regis

Chief Inspector Hutchings was appointed District Commander for Chichester and Arun in September 2026, having joined the force 23 years ago. While she hails from the Midlands, she has lived in West Sussex for more than 20 years and says she has “a real sense of how people are feeling.”

“I’m newly in post and have been here for two months now,” she said. “In terms of my priorities, they are around the force priorities – so to protect our communities, catch criminals and deliver an outstanding service.”

When asked which issues stand out most, CI Hutchings responded that anti-social behaviour is not only a real concern, but is the most visible issue to residents.

“I suppose it’s the perception,” she said. “You don’t see burglary, for example, as much as you see anti-social behaviour, so it’s the perception of those crimes that we really need to work on.”

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is legally defined as conduct that causes or is likely to cause alarm, distress or harassment to a person not of the same household, and covers activities from environmental damage and noise nuisance to public disorder and verbal harassment.

CI Hutchings explained that a major priority for her is cracking down on ASB, whether that be the use of e-bikes and e-scooters or drug use and street drinking.

“We’ve seized 14 e-bikes and e-scooters in Bognor alone, so we are taking robust action,” she said. “There’s now a force-wide operation, Operation Scramble, to support that. So we are not only looking at it from my local policing teams, but with the support of our wider policing teams.”

She added that drug use and street drinking are often more complex, with Sussex Police working alongside charities and councils to support people and tackle concerns.

Neighbourhood crime such as burglary and theft, on the other hand, is down according to police statistics.

“In Bognor, neighbourhood crime is down,” CI Hutchings said. “It is a safe place to live, work and visit. I understand that we need to build on that perception, and there is still lots of work to be done to address anti-social behaviour, but we do take steps to support that.”

She referenced Bognor’s ‘Operation Redeem’, through which the town has seen 21 arrests and 20 stop searches for drugs in the last two months alone.

One issue recognised by the Bognor Regis Observer is street safety, with a considerable number of women, girls and people with disabilities reporting feeling unsafe in the town – particularly at night.

Posts under Bognor Regis community forums and social media pages in October 2026 alone show at least 20 reports of residents being followed, being verbally harassed, feeling unsafe or avoiding going out after dark.

The Observer also recently spoke to Its Run By Her, a women's-only running group in Bognor Regis, which highlighted the fear that women and girls feel when they go out at night – not only in the town, but across Britain.

When asked about these concerns, CI Hutchings responded: “Violence against women and girls is a top priority for the force, and anyone who’s impacted by this behaviour – we really need them to come forward. We will respond robustly to violence against women and girls.”

On the back of Its Run By Her, which began in early 2025, Sussex Police launched its own ‘Right to Run’ campaign. The initiative is aimed at encouraging women and girls to report assault and harassment, citing a statistic that while 92% say they feel concerned about their safety when running, only around 5% of incidents are reported to police.

CI Hutchings really emphasised the importance of reporting crime, explaining that it is the most effective way to build a picture of ongoing issues within the community.

“I know it sometimes sounds like a stuck record, but we build a picture, and that picture then allows me to target the resources that I can manage in the right places – and also seek further support from other force resources,” she said.

In terms of tangible action, she explained that ASB legislation, nighttime economy patrols, and policing teams using their powers and working alongside action groups and councils are ways in which she is planning to tackle ASB and create a safer environment for residents.

“I take it really seriously. I’m super passionate about it,” she said.

The new District Commander added that Sussex Police holds regular meetings where residents can share concerns and learn what policing teams are doing in their communities – something she hopes to see more people attending under her post.

“The main thing I’d love to achieve is that our community feels safe here, and that we’re actually really proud of where we live, work and visit,” she said.

“I want to really encourage engagement – to increase the number of people completing victim surveys when they’ve had an interaction with Sussex Police, and the number coming to our engagement events. [I want to see] people reaching out and sharing their concerns, so that we can work together.”