Hello

I'm delighted to have provided funding to support an award-winning, cross-government programme (initiated by South West PCCs) that will see prisoners in Sussex build new homes within the county.

The affordable homes are high-quality, low-carbon, eco-friendly and sustainable and will be offered to people on the local authority housing register, key workers or vulnerable people such as women and children who are fleeing domestic abuse.

The programme is supported by: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; The Ministry of Justice; The Cabinet Office and the Local Government Association’s One Public Estate programme; as well as His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, alongside other local partnerships.

Ford Prison inmates are being given the opportunity to apply for jobs building the homes, employed and supported by established housing providers in the county. Through supervision and training, prisoners will be given the chance to learn new skills, increase their chances of long-term work and turn their lives around, thus reducing the cycle of re-offending.

Last week, I visited Boutique Modern - a local contractor and modular manufacturer. The organisation is one of the providers in Sussex who are employing and supporting prisoners to build the sustainable houses. You can read more about the visit on my website and view a video on my YouTube page.

Safety and security on the shore

Earlier this month, I visited Camber Sands to see how the Rother Neighbourhood Policing Team work with local agencies to keep beachgoers safe on the famous Sussex beach.

During peak holiday season, the famous Sussex beach can see up to 30,000 visitors per day. The police work with many partner organisations including  Rother District Council’s Beach Patrol and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to patrol the beaches to keep visitors safe. Tragically, Camber Sands has seen multiple drownings in recent years so relevant authorities work collaboratively to prevent this from re-occurring.

An issue frequently facing Sussex Police is missing children, especially during peak holiday season. On their busiest days, the police can deal with up to 60 missing children reports along the 2.5 mile stretch of sandy beach.

To swiftly re-unite children with their parents, the police and partners, including Street Pastors, hand out wristbands on arrival which allow parents to write their contact details on them. Should their child wander off, the police can easily re-unite them with loved ones. On average, Sussex Police are able to locate and re-unite children with their families within 20 minutes of the alarm being raised.

You can read more about the visit and view a video on my website.

Katy Bourne OBE
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner