Brighton: Police target crime hotspot near Royal Pavilion

A total of 29 police pods have appeared on the streets of Sussex to tackle antisocial behaviour and serious violence in locations that see a higher rate of crime.

In Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne, Crawley, Worthing, Chichester and Hastings, Sussex Police have increased their patrols by 10,000 hours since April, they said, as well as installing the new pods to engage with the communities there.

One of the newest pods to appear is in New Road in Brighton, next to the Royal Pavilion Gardens, where 56 offences were reported in September, the highest number being antisocial behaviour crimes and violence and sexual offences.

The Royal Pavilion Gardens have been on the Heritage at Risk register since 2017 due to “event pressures, crime and antisocial behaviour affecting the gardens' condition”.

Sussex Police said the crimes being targeted in the area include knife offences, shoplifting, common assault, harassment and possession of drugs.

Inside the new pod in New Road, Brighton (Image: The Argus) Speaking in New Road, Brighton, in front of the new pod, Inspector Jim Loader, chief inspector in charge of the hotspot policing team, said: “This is one of 29 hotspots across Sussex which is a hotspot for serious violence and antisocial behaviour.

“This one was installed in the past couple of weeks.

“The idea behind the hotspot fund and team is that we spend additional hours patrolling these locations, additional hours engaging with these communities, the people who work here, the people who live here, the people who are travelling through here, and in turn we have seen a reduction in crime and a reduction in incidents that occur in these locations.

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“This pod is just the latest of many methods we’re using in hotspot locations to drive down these crimes.

“Here in New Road, we have been looking at robust action around the offences that come to light and the offenders that perpetrate these offences, but also aiming to rebuild trust and confidence with the local communities who live and work here.

“We are taking action and we are improving things for communities to reduce the harm that they experience.”

Materials to be handed out to the public (Image: The Argus) Figures show that the targeted policing has led to a fall in offences in these areas, with reports of grievous bodily harm dropping by 29.1 per cent and antisocial behaviour decreasing by 17.9 per cent since April.

In Brighton, knife-related offences have increased by 10.3 per cent since the scheme began, which Sussex Police say is down to more proactive searches by officers.

Inspector Loader added: “We’ve had some really positive feedback from the communities in those areas as well as from police colleagues who work out of those locations as well.

“For the most part, officers and staff will work out of these pods from an hour to an hour and a half and use them as an additional way to engage with the public.

“They’re a visible presence, a visible reminder that we’re here and that we know this is a hotspot, that these are areas we need to be working.

“These are communities we need to be talking to.”

The initiative is being funded by the Home Office.