New Police Leader For West Sussex Addresses Residents On Social Media

The new Divisional Commander for West Sussex has taken to Facebook to reassure residents that the police are 'determined' to 'regain trust and confidence' following the damning Casey Review.

The statement on the police Facebook pages covering West Sussex reads:

Hello, I am Detective Superintendent Alex Geldart and I am writing to you as your new Divisional Commander for West Sussex Division at a time when, following the recent publication of the Casey Review and a number of other high profile policing issues that have received national attention, trust and confidence in policing has been significantly damaged.

The police service both locally and nationally are determined to regain this trust and confidence and in the longer term earn the right to have more.

There is no hiding from the content of the Casey Review but I can reassure you that each and every officer, member of staff and volunteer on West Sussex Division is committed to delivering the very best public service in a fair, ethical and transparent manner.

There are a number of local issues which we have been working hard, with partners, to address over the last 12 months. For example, Operation Cruz to tackle antisocial driving: https://orlo.uk/bQ2wE

And extra patrols during the night time economy to keep women safe: https://orlo.uk/Jxma9

We’ve seen a number of shocking incidents involving serious youth violence (including the use of weapons), many of which have resulted in convictions and significant custodial sentences.

We remain committed to innovating, working in partnership and finding new ways to reduce crime and keep people safe, for example the trialling of the Night Safety Marshalls in Crawley.

We have three priorities to deliver in Sussex Police, these are to:

- Protect Our Communities

- Catch Criminals

- Deliver an Outstanding Service

Each and every day the officers, staff and volunteers who work on West Sussex strive hard to deliver these priorities. In recent months we have secured some fantastic results that demonstrate this, such as the seizure of £500,000 worth of Class A drugs destined for the streets in West Sussex:

https://orlo.uk/wiReh

And the conviction of an armed robber in Shoreham:

https://orlo.uk/Bzcoi

Support from you – the public of West Sussex – is crucial for my staff and I to be effective which, in turn, increases the levels of trust and confidence that you can have in policing. I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to you for this as well as the frequent acts of public spirited action to do the right thing and help others.

As always, we want to hear more from you. Please share with us any concerns or information that you have in relation to crime, antisocial behaviour, vulnerable people who may be subject to exploitation and any other police matters including wanted people:

https://orlo.uk/jxwVR

You can do this by reporting it online at https://orlo.uk/PlRE8 or via 101.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at https://orlo.uk/BlOT1