Chichester councillor calls for more police and reopening of custody centre

This comes amid concerns about alleged anti-social behaviour in the city.

Councillor James Vivian, who represents Chichester Central ward, has written to Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne – calling for greater police resources locally.

In a letter dated August 18, Mr Vivian said he was contacting the commissioner because of what he described as a ‘rapid escalation of anti-social behaviour in Chichester’.

He urged Mrs Bourne, OBE, to intervene so that local police were given the resources needed to tackle the problem.

He said residents had reported a number of incidents, including attempted break-ins at a property, which he said had occurred ‘from the street over the last few months’.

Mr Vivian also referred to a recently incident in which an individual was allegedly attacked by a group on West Street.

He wrote: "All of these incidents were all reported to police, but so far no action has been taken."

The councillor also raised the existing Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering parts of Chichester, saying officers had not been given the additional resources required to enforce it.

His letter asks Mrs Bourne to consider two specific measures: allocating additional police officers to areas where PSPOs are in force, ‘including Chichester’, and looking again at reopening the closed custody centre, on Kingsham Road.

Mr Vivian said reopening the centre could allow officers to spend more time policing the streets rather than travelling to the custody centre in Worthing.

Posting about his letter on Facebook, the councillor said: "Our police officers work extremely hard, but there has been a big spike in antisocial behaviour in Chichester recently, and residents are rightly concerned that this is not being taken seriously by those in charge.

"Only with more resources and a reopened custody centre can things move in the right direction."

The councillor said he hoped the commissioner would take residents' concerns seriously.

The office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner pointed out that decisions about the deployment and operational response to incidents were matters for the neighbourhood policing team to assess, with decisions on resourcing ultimately made by the divisional commander.

The PCC's office also said the commissioner was responsible for setting the police force's budget on an annual basis and worked to secure the best possible settlement from the UK Government, including additional grants for recruitment and operations such as enhanced hotspot patrols.

It said Sussex Police officer numbers had ‘increased substantially’ since 2018 through targeted precept increases, and the previous government's Uplift programme, and had been maintained.

The office also pointed to forthcoming focus groups with councillors and clerks from all Sussex districts, which are due to begin on October 1.

It said the groups would allow the PCC's office to hear directly from councillors and clerks about local concerns, adding that recent focus groups had not resulted in the same calls for additional officers as in previous years.

The office said participants had instead reported noticing an increased police presence in their neighbourhoods.

It added that information about troubles and hotspots was shared with Sussex Police and community safety partners.

Mrs Bourne's office has also recently launched its annual Safer in Sussex Survey, asking residents about community safety, the policing service they receive and what could help them feel safer.

A recent newsletter, from the commissioner, read: “Today, I am pleased to launch my annual Safer in Sussex Survey, giving residents across our county the opportunity to share their views on community safety, the policing service they receive and what could help them feel safer where they live.

“Hearing directly from residents is one of the most important parts of my role as your police & crime commissioner. The feedback you provide helps me act as your voice within policing, ensuring that the issues that matter most to you are raised directly with the chief constable and her senior leadership team.

“Every response helps me to build a clearer picture of the issues affecting residents across Sussex and supports efforts to make our county safer for everyone.

“The survey takes just a few minutes to complete and will remain open until Friday, October 9. Your voice matters – please do take part and have your say by clicking here.”

On the issue of Chichester's former custody centre, the PCC's office said its position is unchanged, since April – when Jess Brown-Fuller, the Member of Parliament for Chichester, launched a petition.

Mrs Bourne the MP’s call to re-open Chichester Custody Centre was an ‘understandable reaction’ to the 'desire for local, visible justice’.

She added: “However, as the elected official responsible for the Sussex Police budget, I must be clear: in the current financial climate, re-opening this custody suite is not a ‘straightforward’ win for efficiency.

“More importantly, a custody suite is just a building. It does not arrest criminals; officers do.

“Sussex Police currently operate with the highest officer numbers since 2012. In Chichester, this means both a dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Rural Crime Team are out on the beat.

“But there is now a stark financial reality framing our decisions – Sussex Police is currently facing a £7 million deficit for the 2026/27 financial year.”