Hello

This week, I brought together farmers, landowners and key partners for a Mid Sussex Rural Crime Roundtable - an important opportunity to listen directly to those living and working in our rural communities. We were kindly hosted at the beautiful Balcombe Estate.

These conversations really matter to me. They ensure that the concerns of rural people are heard clearly and reflected in how Sussex Police responds to crime in the countryside.

We focused on several key issues causing real concern locally. Livestock worrying continues to have a devastating emotional and financial impact on farmers but I’m encouraged that stronger legislation and new tools, such as DNA kits, are helping police build better prosecution cases against offenders.

The theft of farm machinery - particularly quad bikes - remains a serious problem, often linked to organised crime. I heard firsthand how disruptive this can be for farmers and it’s clear we need continued collaboration, better prevention measures and stronger intelligence-sharing to tackle it.

Fly-tipping is another persistent issue, with rural communities too often left to deal with the consequences. I’ve committed to exploring what more can be done with partners to strengthen enforcement and ensure communities aren’t bearing the cost of illegal dumping.

We also discussed concerns around firearms licensing delays which I will be following up in detail at next month’s Performance and Accountability Meeting with the Chief Constable. Other emerging issues were covered like the misuse of catapults and slingshots and the links between rural crime and wider organised criminal activity, including hare coursing.

What came through loud and clear is the importance of strong partnerships. By bringing together policing, rural organisations and local residents, we can target the issues that matter most and deliver better outcomes for victims.

I remain committed to making sure rural crime remains a priority - with the focus, resources and collaboration needed to protect our countryside and those whose livelihoods depend on it.

Taking down criminal gangs behind retail crime

I’ve always been clear that retail crime and shop theft is not low-level offending - it is often driven by highly organised gangs who target businesses across multiple areas, causing real harm to livelihoods and communities.

That’s why I spearheaded the Pegasus Partnership in 2023 - bringing together major retailers, policing and Government to create, for the first time ever, a national intelligence capability dedicated to tackling these gangs. That vision is now being delivered through policing’s specialist Opal unit and the results are incredibly encouraging.

In just two years, this national team has supported more than 200 investigations into organised retail crime, helping disrupt dozens of criminal gangs operating across the country, resulting in: over 600 offenders being identified (many previously unknown to police); more than 250 arrests being made; and over a century’s worth of prison sentences secured.

Even more importantly, we are seeing a real impact on offending - with a staggering 73% reduction among the organised crime gangs targeted through this work.

This success is built on something I have consistently championed - better intelligence-sharing. Through the work begun under our Pegasus Partnerhsip, retailers now have a single route into policing to share vital information, allowing Opal to build a national picture of criminal activity and ensure there is nowhere for these offenders to hide.

What this shows is that when we work together - nationally and locally - we can take the fight directly to the organised gangs behind retail crime, not just deal with the symptoms on the shop floor.
I will continue to push for stronger partnerships, better data-sharing and the resources policing needs to stay one step ahead of these criminals so that businesses, staff and shoppers can feel safe and supported.

Katy Bourne OBE
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner