Sussex Police crime investigations require improvement, report says
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has published its inspection of Sussex Police.
The Police Efficiency, Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) inspection programme is an assessment of the effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy of all 43 police forces in England and Wales.
The inspection report highlights many areas of good performance seen in the Sussex Police, including innovative and promising practice, as well as areas where improvements should be made.
Sussex Police was rated either 'good' or 'adequate' across most categories, but received a lower grade of 'requires improvement' for its approach to investigating crime.
CC Shiner said: 'We are absolutely committed to delivering an outstanding service to the people of Sussex, as they rightly expect.
'We recognise at the time of the report, our charge rate for investigations was below the national average and there was a significant number of live and outstanding investigations, particularly in our Safeguarding Investigations Unit, which was impacting our ability to deliver an effective and efficient service.
'Since then, we have made a start on our long-term plan to improve investigations, with large-scale changes underway to move officers into more specialist teams for adult and child protection, and high-risk domestic and sexual offence investigations.
'Over the last two years, we have increased the number of victim-based crimes with a successful outcome by 51 per cent. We have also seen our charge rate for victim-based crime increase to 6.9% in the year ending June 2025, compared to the 5.3% referenced in the inspection report from the year ending June 2024.
'We have implemented multiple changes in the year since the inspection took place and while I know there is more to do, I am confident these steps are moving us firmly in the right direction.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Father's throat slashed, daughter attacked while camping in GA
Four people are now in custody after being accused of attacking a father and daughter at a north Georgia campground. White County deputies say a 22-year-old woman and her 58-year-old father from Waco, Ga. were camping at the Low Gap Campground over the weekend. Channel 2's Bryan Mims is learning more about the attack. Get the latest details during Channel 2 Action News at 6:00 p.m. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] They say the woman was attacked by 44-year-old Krista Wilson. During the assault, the victim stabbed Krista Wilson in self-defense, While his daughter was being attacked, her father was hit in the throat by a glass beer bottle, causing a severe cut. After he fell to the ground, his attackers continued assaulting him. Both were rushed to Northeast Georgia Medical Center where the father remains in critical condition and the daughter is in serious condition. TRENDING STORIES: Cobb man convicted of fraud after using $12M to live lavish lifestyle 12 teens found living in church basement; fire marshal says it violated county codes APD officer who killed Rayshard Brooks now charged in Midtown bar fight Deputies identified four people from Lula, Ga. as the attackers and charged all of them with aggravated assault and battery, including: Krista Wilson, 44 Joshua Wilson, 42 Joshua Miller, 32 Charles Miller, 39 It's unclear what led up to the attack. Family members identified the victims as Bruce and Gracee Waldon. They wrote in a GoFundMe campaign that Bruce Waldon suffered a major brain bleed as a result of the attack and had to get 40 stitches. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bag of animal organs found in Morris County town, police say as investigation continues
A suspicious garbage bag found at a car wash in East Hanover contained animal organs, not human remains, authorities said July 30. Police were called to The Finish Line Car Wash at 84 Route 10 around 9:33 a.m. July 29 after employees discovered the bag inside a trash can, according to a statement from East Hanover Police Chief Christopher F. Cannizzo. The Morris County Medical Examiner's Office examined the contents and confirmed the bag contained animal remains. No human tissue was found, Cannizzo said. The investigation into how the remains ended up at the car wash is ongoing. Authorities have not said what kind of animal the organs belonged to. This article originally appeared on East Hanover NJ police report bag of animal organs found at car wash Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Serious and systemic failures' at Oakhill youth jail prompt Government action
The Government has promised urgent reforms at Oakhill Secure Training Centre after inspectors uncovered 'serious and systemic failures' putting children at risk. Youth justice minister Sir Nic Dakin described the findings as 'truly shocking and unacceptable' following an inspection that led Ofsted, the CQC (Care Quality Commission) and HMI Prisons to issue an urgent notification to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Inspectors found safeguarding systems in disarray, a fractured leadership team, and 30 staff suspended since November 2024 – 23 of them before mid-July this year, including 16 over allegations involving children. Sir Nic said: 'This is a truly shocking and unacceptable report. 'I have already visited Oakhill Secure Training Centre this week to ensure urgent action is being taken by G4S to prioritise the safety of the young people in their custody, and to further address the very serious concerns raised by Ofsted and the chief inspector. 'We will publish an action plan within the month to support them further in these efforts – and will not hesitate to take further action if needed.' Inspectors said Oakhill, in Milton Keynes, is no longer child-centred and found staff conduct to be of 'significant concern'. One deputy director has been dismissed, while the other and the centre's director are suspended. An interim director and new deputy have started work but have had 'limited opportunity' to make an impact. In response, G4S has appointed an interim director, and all staff implicated in allegations have been suspended. Concerns have been reported to local authorities, statutory bodies and the police where necessary. Each child's placement is now being reviewed, with the option to reduce the number of children at the centre if required. A governing governor has been also installed to provide additional oversight, alongside another appointed to lead on the urgent notification process. The Ministry of Justice said a full action plan would be published within 28 days. The inspection, carried out between July 21 and 25, follows years of concerns about the centre. Oakhill was rated inadequate at its last full inspection in October 2024 and has not received a rating higher than 'requires improvement' since 2017. The urgent notification process was introduced in 2017 to allow inspectors to trigger immediate action in cases of serious failure. It comes amid wider concerns about the youth custody estate, with MPs warning in a recent report that delays to secure schools and centre closures have left vulnerable children – particularly girls – in 'unsafe conditions'. The Public Accounts Committee said the system was 'totally unsuited' to meeting children's complex needs and warned that custody numbers are expected to more than double by 2024. Dame Meg Hillier, who chairs the committee, said the Government lacked a coherent strategy for youth custody and urged ministers to 'get a grip'.
