Victims of crime in Sussex facing increasing delays in police response,

From 2019 to 2023, victims categorised as ‘Grade 1 - Emergency Response’, a category including calls where there is an immediate danger to life, have seen waiting times increase by almost a quarter (24%). Over the same period, ‘Grade 2 – Priority Response’ calls, which include calls where there is a genuine concern for somebody’s safety, have seen waiting times almost double to an average response time of one hour and 45 minutes.

Remarkably, waiting times for priority response calls grew by over a third between 2022 and 2023 alone, the most recent year for which figures are available.

Although no explanation has been given for the increase in response times, it seems likely that staffing levels play a role, with neighbourhood policing numbers across Sussex 26% lower than they were in 2015. Over the same period the Police and Crime Commissioner has increased their portion of local residents’ council tax bills by an astonishing 83%, raising questions over where the extra funding is going.

Commenting on the figures, Paul Richards, Labour candidate for Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Nine out of ten crimes in Sussex go unsolved. When people phone the police, so often they do not turn up. Victims are let down, and criminals get away with it. That's why we need more neighbourhood foot patrols in every community to prevent crime and reassure the public.”

Peter Lamb, Labour candidate for Crawley, added: “To realise the change we need on the ground, we also need change at the national-level. The Labour Party has made the restoration of British policing one of its five core missions for the next Labour Government. We have committed to delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs, and reforming the criminal justice system to ensure that criminals are brought to justice.”