Police Engagement Hub Arrives In Hastings Town Centre

A police engagement hub has opened in #Hastings town centre – a central space for the public and businesses to meet with police and partners, share concerns and access support and advice.

Following successful stints in Eastbourne and Crawley, the hub has now taken its place in Hastings, at the junction of Harold Place and Queens Road.

Officially launched on Wednesday, March 6, the hub is a base for police and partners to engage with the public and increase their visibility.

It will be regularly used by Neighbourhood Policing Officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), and partner agencies such as East Sussex County Council, Hastings Borough Council, Business Crime Reduction Partnership (Love Hastings), and Safer Hastings, with a focus on tackling business crime in the area.

In January, Hastings Neighbourhood Policing Team launched Operation Castle in the town centre, a three-fold initiative addressing shoplifting, business burglary, and anti-social behaviour through dedicated foot patrols, plain-clothed activity, and long-term regeneration work.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Richard Breeze said:

“While the hub does not replace the local police station or usual ways of reporting crime – online, via DISC system, or by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency – it provides an extra layer of reassurance for business owners in the vicinity. As a visible and accessible focal point, it will help deter criminal activity and open a new avenue for members of the community to interact with us.

“We are looking forward to the opportunities the hub will bring to Hastings and the continued partnership working across the town to keep Hastings a safe place to live, work, and visit.”

DISC is an online reporting system for businesses to share intelligence and suspicious behaviour. Similar to neighbourhood watch, the software allows users to share information on potential criminality in their area with police and other users. Business can share CCTV images, for example, to help recognise prolific shoplifters.

John Bownas, manager of the Hastings Business Crime Reduction Partnership, said:

“Everything that improves police presence in the town centre is welcome addition. We’ve seen a lot more patrols recently due to changes instigated by our local Neighbourhood Policing Team, and having somewhere that is a dedicated space for officers right at the heart of the town will allow them to better engage with shops and shoppers alike.”

The hub has been funded by Operation Safety, Sussex Police’s response to knife crime and serious violence, and will also act as a base for Operation Safety officers carrying out patrols and operational activity across the town.

This hub has been moved across from Eastbourne, with Eastbourne set to receive a new hub in the coming months, the third funded by the team.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Yates, the force lead for knife crime and serious violence, said:

“We are so pleased to continue with this initiative across Sussex and bring the hub to another town. Their presence in Eastbourne and Crawley has generated brilliant results and we’re keen to replicate that across the county.

“In just a week following the hub launch in Crawley last year, officers made 13 arrests in the town centre as a result of the increased visibility and the initiative ‘Safer, Stronger Crawley’, leading to officers being deployed to crackdown on serious and organised crime in the area.

“The hubs complement our ongoing work to tackle anti-social and criminal behaviour in the town centres and we’re committed to utilising them to reach our communities.”

The hub will be staffed as often as possible, but in particular every day between 12pm and 1pm, and 3pm and 4pm, while PCSOs continue to patrol surrounding areas. Whether staffed by police or partners, the hub will offer drop-in sessions, events, and a space for members of the community to access support and advice on crime prevention, personal safety, and community issues. In recent months, the Eastbourne and Crawley hubs have hosted events such as:

• Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Awareness Night – officers offered support and advice to those enjoying the night-time economy and handed out free anti-spiking drink toppers.
• Crawley Day of Action – working with West Sussex County Council’s Community Safety Team, the hub hosted engagement with the local community and offered a space for discussion.
• Sussex Alerts assistance – officers were on hand to help members of public sign up to Sussex Alerts, a system that keeps you up to date with what’s happening in your area.

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, lead for Community Safety for Hastings Borough Council, said:

“We are delighted that the new engagement hub has been installed in Hastings town centre. Police and partner agencies will be based at the hub, providing a convenient location for the local community to access support and advice on crime prevention, personal safety, and community issues.

“We hope the visible presence of officers at the hub will help to deter crime and disorder in the area and benefit local businesses and the public.”

Made from 1,312 recycled plastic bottles and powered by solar panels, the hub is environmentally friendly. The panels are bonded for rigidity, impact resistance and water tightness, offering maximum durability in harsh and coastal locations and requiring no further maintenance, for example no further painting.

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said:

“I was delighted to formally open the Hastings Police Hub today on Wellington Place, right in the heart of the town. The Hub will provide a highly visible police footprint at the busy intersection into the pedestrianised area, and it’s made from recycled plastic bottles and powered by solar.

“I am keen to see more of these units being deployed across our Sussex towns because they bring a much-appreciated policing presence that reassures the public, deters anti-social behaviour and shoplifting in particular.”

The engagement hub will remain in Hastings town centre for a minimum of six months.

Visit our website for more information on Operation Castle and Sussex Police’s response to business crime.