On Thursday, May 2, there are elections for the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner. Rye News has asked all four candidates for their thoughts on policing in Rye.
Jamie Bennett - Liberal Democrats
The Conservatives have long talked tough on crime, but failed to even get the basics right. Their unnecessary cuts have left our police forces overstretched, under-resourced, and unable to focus on the crimes that affect our communities the most.
Instead of more empty promises, I will commit to what actually works to stop crime - proper community policing, where officers are visible and trusted, with the time and resources to focus on neighbourhood crime. It cannot wait any longer.
Criminals are getting away with it
New Home Office statistics have revealed that a shocking 4,093 burglaries went unsolved across Sussex in the year ending June 2023.
This is equivalent to 11 burglaries going unsolved in Sussex every single day. Meanwhile, just 254 cases resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed in the same time period - accounting for 4.96% of all burglaries in Sussex.
The national figures paint a similarly dire picture. 76% of all burglaries across England and Wales went unsolved in the year ending June 2023, while just 6% of cases resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed.
The Conservatives are putting police resources in all the wrong places
Time and again, the Conservatives have put policing resources in all the wrong places. They have slashed PCSO numbers, taking over 91 off the streets of Sussex since 2015.
Instead, they have invested millions into Police and Crime Commissioners, many of whom have racked up eye-watering expenses bills. Yet still, nothing has changed.
What would the Liberal Democrats do instead?
Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted, and able to focus on solving and preventing neighbourhood crime.
This requires the Conservatives to get more officers out on the streets. That must include addressing the dramatic cuts to PCSO numbers, too. PCSOs are often the officers tasked with neighbourhood foot patrols, so we need to ensure that achieving the uplift equates to more visible policing in our communities.
At the same time, the government must free up existing officers' time to focus on local policing. That's why we're calling for a new, national Online Crime Agency that would take over things like online fraud and abuse, leaving more time for local forces to tackle burglaries and other neighbourhood crimes.
Liberal Democrat Policy on Police and Crime Commissioners
Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to scrap PCCs and replace them with Police Boards, made up of local councillors and representatives from local rehabilitation providers.
Our new Police Boards would be properly accountable to the communities they serve, at a fraction of the cost of PCCs.
VOTING INFORMATION
You can find your polling station here: https://www.rother.gov.uk/findmynearest
You will need proof of ID to vote in person, the official Electoral Commission guidance is here:
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id
