New police officer from Seaford aspires to ‘help shape the future of young people’

PC Emma Hatt is one of 36 new Sussex Police officers who has joined response teams in communities across the county.

The new officers will be working alongside their dedicated coaches, where they will be responding to 999 calls having completed robust training at Sussex Police headquarters in Lewes.

“I’m really excited to be joining the response team and start helping people” says PC Emma Hatt, who has joined the Brighton and Hove division.

“It’ll be great jumping in at the deep end. Like any new recruit I want to get the bad people, and look after the vulnerable people.”

Before joining the force, Emma, from Seaford, worked with juvenile offenders in a residential unit in Tower Hamlets.

“I’m really looking forward to helping shape the future of young people, steering them in a different direction,” she said.

“With my past experience, I know how to go in at their level and build rapport to make a real difference.”

The recruits are the first of an additional 129 officers for Sussex to be recruited by March 2021, funded by the first phase of the Government initiative, which aims to recruit 20,000 officers by 2023. Policing Minister, Kit Malthouse co-launched the national recruitment campaign when he visited Sussex Police HQ last September.

In addition to the posts created as part of the Government’s recruitment commitment, the force is on track to recruit the extra 250 police officers, 100 PCSOs and 50 specialist staff funded by the 2018/2019 local precept increases.

Chief Constable Giles York QPM said: “We are delighted to welcome these officers to Sussex, made possible by the government’s uplift commitment, and I look forward to seeing their careers progress.

“Recent precept rises, together with greater government investment, provides us with an exceptional opportunity to employ the right mix of officers and police staff to deliver an effective, efficient and high quality policing service to the people of Sussex.

“It reinforces our move into a period of significant growth and will tangibly strengthen our position to meet increasing and changing demand. It allows a step-change in our policing approach and greater proactivity in taking the fight to criminals.

“As recruitment plans come to fruition, they will make a positive difference to the public of Sussex. Already our communities can see and feel the difference of earlier investment and, with this additional commitment, we can do even more: catch more criminals, protect more victims and prevent and solve more crime.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne commented: “As we were already in a period of significant growth, Sussex Police has had the capacity to become one of the first forces to welcome officers from the national uplift.

“This shows our determination to give Sussex residents what they want – a visible and proactive force which is tough on crime.

“All of our new recruits are of the highest calibre having been through a rigorous recruitment and training process. They have a drive to tackle crime and protect our most vulnerable and I look forward to visiting them out on patrol and seeing them in action for myself.”

Sussex Police’s police officer recruitment drive continues next month with the first recruitment drive of 2020 launching on Monday, March 9.

The recruitment drive is looking for those who have what it takes to tackle crime, keep communities safe and protect the most vulnerable.