Team to focus on tracking down crooks

The six-man Operation Resolve Team has been set up at Lewes Police Station to improve the detection rate in the district.

The officers are able to concentrate on doing this and are not part on the on-call rota at the station.

Since the team was formed in February more than 80 offenders have been dealt with for a variey of offences including ABH, theft, deception, shop-lifting and public disorder.

Sergeant Andy Eggleton said: 'This has definitely speeded up the arrest rate in the district and I think people can be confident crimes they report will be investigated quicker as a result of the team.

'Some of those people we see end up in court, others are given a caution, a fixed penalty, a reprimand or are dealt with in a different way.'

Inspector Viv Johnson praised the team and said it had been able to focus on bringing in offenders and giving swifter justice to victims.