Police investigations must improve, report says

Sussex Police has been told it must improve its crime investigations by inspectors

Sussex Police must improve its crime investigations as it does not always pursue relevant and proportionate lines of enquiry, an inspection has found.

A report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that the force did not have enough capacity to make sure it progressed a large number of open serious crime investigations.

The inspectorate found Sussex Police to be "adequate" in most areas of policing, adding it was pleased with improvements made in the past year.

Chief Constable Jo Shiner said the force was "operating in a challenging financial environment" and was "committed to delivering an outstanding service to the people of Sussex".

According to the report, one in 20 victim-based crimes dealt with by Sussex Police in the year ending 30 June 2024 resulted in a charge or court summons.

The report cited a lack of capacity to progress long-standing investigations as a contributing factor to the low number of crimes being solved.

Sussex Police was rated as "good" for its responses to the public and "adequate" in eight other areas of policing, including preventing crime and protecting vulnerable people.

Other issues highlighted in the report included the disproportionality of "stop and searches" carried out by Sussex Police officers.

According to the report, black people were 6.1 times more likely to be subject to a stop and search than white people in the county – higher than the national average rate of 3.6 times for England and Wales.

Ms Shiner said the force was "open to feedback" and that many of the recommendations made in the report had already been identified.

"We will continue working alongside HMICFRS to accelerate and embed these plans to ensure we are delivering the best possible service for the people of Sussex," she added.