With over 100 attendees, the turnout for Rye anti-social behaviour (ASB) event held on Saturday, May 31 at Tilling Green Community Centre far exceeded expectations—a testament to the community’s commitment to tackling ASB and finding solutions that support residents, particularly young people, in making positive choices.
Among those who joined us were Helena Dollimore MP, Sussex Police’s Rother team, Rye Youth Zone, the Tilling Green Residents Association, Rye Sea Cadets, Rye Chamber of Commerce, Rye Foodbank, and Southern Housing’s ASB team. Additionally, we were pleased to welcome Rother District Council vice-chair Mark Legg, Councillor Ruairi McCourt, Martin Blincow from Rye Cricket Club, and several Rye town councillors, including deputy mayor Chris Hoggart. Seeing so many engaged individuals in one space—residents, local organisations, and decision-makers—was both heartening and vital to how we move forward.
Our goal was to facilitate open and constructive conversations about ASB—how best to report it, what responses to expect, what is working well, and where improvements are needed. Beyond discussion, this event also served as a space for local organisations and charities to recruit volunteers—people who want to make a difference and be part of the solution.
Positives
- Residents spoke highly of Sussex Police’s officers, describing them as engaged, approachable, and willing to answer tough questions. Police do pursue ASB but for obvious reasons this can’t always be publicised.
- Helena Dollimore spoke about the need to report, report, report in order for police to know the scale of ASB and allocate resources properly compared to other areas. She also reflected the concerns that not all reports are properly investigated and would ask the chief inspector to look at the processes involved and particularly the concern that not all ASB reports for the Rye area are passed by the call centre in Lewes to the Rye Neighbourhood Policing Team.
- Many attendees noted that once cases were taken on by the police, they felt supported and confident in the response.
- Southern Housing’s participation was welcomed, showing their willingness to engage with the concerns of residents.
Challenges
- Residents shared frustrations about difficulty in having ASB incidents taken seriously when first reported. Many felt call handlers were not sufficiently responsive, even when clear evidence—such as video doorbell footage or recordings—was provided.
- Questions were raised about what ought to be a reasonable expectation when reporting incidents, if an officer on the street should be able to take down details of concerns then and there or as one resident reported being told, to only report concerns over the phone.
- While Southern Housing officers were present, many attendees felt a more senior representative should have attended.
- There was concern about a lack of proactive engagement from Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council. Though a much-respected district council officer attended, many felt senior managers should have been present to address concerns directly. Another aspect councils might be able to enforce is anti-social parking especially where disabled access is impeded, this ties in with Dan Lake’s recent Disability Awareness Day.
- No representative from the local school attended, despite many residents feeling that more proactive measures are needed to address ASB in and around the school area.
The event demonstrated the power of collective action. Helena Dollimore's presence reinforced the seriousness of the issue, and I was encouraged by the engagement of local organisations such as Rye Youth Zone, Rye Sea Cadets, and the Chamber of Commerce. Their willingness to be part of the solution highlights the potential for greater community collaboration.
As Sgt Roger Tomlinson and Sgt Jessica McNab explained that if issues aren’t reported, they cannot be followed up or recorded. Their willingness to listen and respond to difficult questions was greatly appreciated and met with an enthusiastic round of applause.
For me, the motivation to organise this event came from witnessing the devastating impact of ASB on local families. One family in particular has been repeatedly targeted in their own home, despite strong police engagement. The harm they have endured is unacceptable and it is imperative that councils, police, and housing providers work better together. At the same time, we must recognise and support local groups—such as Rye Youth Zone and the sea cadets—who are actively contributing to long-term solutions.
Actions to take forward
- Follow-up meeting in autumn: Residents have requested a follow-up meeting later this year to review progress on the issues raised.
- Improving initial call handling: We must work closely with Sussex Police to ensure ASB reports are taken seriously and resident-provided evidence is appropriately considered.
- Encouraging greater council engagement: Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council must take a more proactive role in addressing ASB, including ensuring senior-level representation at future events.
- Strengthening Southern Housing’s engagement: Southern Housing will be encouraged to send senior representatives to future community discussions.
- Accessibility: Dan Lake is already working on various projects and recently met Cllr McGurk and an ESCC highways officer to identify dropped kerb improvement locations around Rye, Helena Dollimore is also writing to ESCC in support of this project. More can be done though and one aspect is seeking to make anti-social parking illegal as in other areas of the UK.
Helena Dollimore said: “Thank you to everyone who attended and helped organise the Rye anti-social behaviour event on Saturday. Many residents have raised anti-social behaviour issues with me. I know how distressing this can be, and how much it is a blight on our neighbourhoods. By so many people showing up, we have shown the police and other agencies that people in Rye are determined to work together to tackle it. I will be taking up a number of specific feedback points with the chief inspector and will be inviting our police and crime commissioner to join us for a follow up event later in the year.”
Thank you to everyone who attended for your participation, your commitment, and your dedication to making Rye a safer place for all.
