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People Scrutiny Committee
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Date of meeting:
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22 September 2025 |
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By: |
Director of Adult Social Care & Health
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Title: |
Annual Review of the Safer Communities’ Partnership, Performance, Priorities, and Issues |
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Purpose: |
To update on performance in relation to safer communities in 2024/25
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
People Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider and comment on the performance across the Safer Communities Partnership during 2024/25.
1.1 The East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership (SCP) recognises that community safety and community cohesion are interconnected. A cohesive community is one where people feel safe, connected, regardless of background, identity, or circumstance.
1.2 While crime rates in East Sussex remain below the national average, the conditions that underpin safety, such as housing stability, economic opportunity, and social inclusion are unevenly distributed. Coastal urban areas like Hastings and Eastbourne face persistent challenges, including high levels of deprivation, housing insecurity, and health inequalities. Hastings, for example, has the highest rate of households in temporary accommodation (12.3 per 1,000), and over 40% of its neighbourhoods rank among the most deprived nationally.
1.3 In addition to the county-level SCP, which the County Council chairs and supports, five local Community Safety Partnerships operate across East Sussex, meeting in three Boards. Each partnership publishes a local plan based on issues raised by its members. These local plans inform the county-wide strategy, and vice versa.
1.4 The SCP coordinates community safety efforts across the county. Sub-groups under the SCP focus on violent extremism, drug and alcohol-related harm, domestic abuse, and serious violence. These groups also report to the pan-Sussex Violence Reduction Partnership and the Domestic Abuse Board.
1.5 The SCP aligns its work with the Adults and Children’s Safeguarding Boards, the Health and Wellbeing Board, and the Children and Young People’s Trust through a Partnership Protocol.
1.6 The County Council shapes and delivers its community safety priorities through the SCP’s business planning process. The current business plan runs from 2023 to 2026, and a new three-year plan will be produced next year.
1.7 The SCP’s three strategic priorities are:
· Protecting vulnerable people
· Identifying those at risk of harm
· Keeping communities safe
1.8 These priorities align with those of partner organisations and the Police and Crime Plan. Other areas, such as road safety and the impact of anti-social behaviour and street communities, are addressed through other partnership structures with support from the wider SCP as needed.
2.1 Sussex Police provided pre-publication data in March 2025 from live systems. To note, this data may change and could differ from official statistics later published by the ONS and Home Office.
2.2 Total crime reports in East Sussex remained largely unchanged between 2023/24 and 2024/25, increasing by just 0.8% from 39,270 to 39,579. Crime rates in East Sussex continue to sit below both the national and Sussex averages.
2.3 The most notable rise occurred in theft reports which jumped by 20.2%, from 7,548 to 9,069. Shoplifting drove this increase, rising by 39.1% from 4,188 to 5,826. Both national and local agencies have focused on shoplifting, with national figures showing a 20% rise in the year to December 2024, the highest since police began using current recording practices in 2003.
2.4 Violence without injury rose by 6.9%, from 5,996 to 6,411. Reports of violence against the person in public places increased by 3.8%, from 5,846 to 6,068.
2.5 Reports of non-domestic public place serious violent crime dropped by 12%, falling from 523 to 462. In contrast, possession of weapon offences rose by 3%, from 370 to 382. Proactive police activity and improved recording practices likely contributed to this increase.
2.6 Drug offence reports across East Sussex fell by 7.8%, from 1,047 to 965. Hastings saw the largest drop at 24.1% (from 336 to 255), followed by Eastbourne with an 11.6% decrease (from 371 to 328). Rother and Wealden experienced slight increases, rising from 92 to 116 and 116 to 130, respectively.
2.7 Reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) increased, with nuisance ASB rising by 4.9%, from 5,794 to 6,077. Most ASB reports involved youths, neighbours, drink and drug use, noise, and motorcycles or vehicles.
2.8 Reports of domestic violence crimes increased by 2.1%, from 6,020 crimes in 2023/24 to 6,149 crimes in 2024/25.
2.9 Reports of sexual offences increased by 6.3%, from 1,177 offences in 2023/24 to 1,819 offences in 2024/25.
2.10 In April 2024 Sussex Police expanded activity in 29 high crime and ASB areas using £1.4 million Home Office funding. The newly formed Hotspot Policing Team completed 18,365 hours of patrols on top of routine patrols by local officers and engaged with over 98,600 members of the public. Operating from new community pods, the team made nearly 300 arrests. Compared to the previous year, overall crime in hotspot areas dropped by 15%, and ASB fell by 19.5%. The team continues to work with divisional officers, partners, and local businesses to identify prolific offenders, improve reporting and intelligence sharing, and implement preventative measures. The Home Office has renewed funding for another 12 months.
3. Progress against the objectives in the 2023–2026 Business Plan
3.1 Of the 38 objectives in the 2023–2026 business plan, 21 have been completed or are progressing well, 16 are underway and 1 has not been achieved. Key achievements include:
· Securing 2025/26 funding for the Changing Futures Programme.
· Commissioning additional drug treatment and recovery services through Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant (DATRIG).
· Establishing a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO) to support people recovering from substance misuse.
· Expanding the DISC reporting system for ASB and shoplifting to all five districts and boroughs.
· Launching the new Safer Communities Partnership website.
· Growing the Voices of Lived Experience Board (VOLEB) to 28 members to shape domestic abuse strategy and services.
· Commissioning 12 units of specialist safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse who have multiple, compound needs.
3.2 One objective, reducing drug and alcohol-related deaths, was flagged as not progressing. The most recent data (2023) shows an increase in deaths, although this includes all drug misuse and alcohol-specific mortality, not just those in treatment. These figures are subject to long delays due to Coroner processes and include causes beyond local control, such as accidental poisonings.
3.3 However, the rate of deaths among those in treatment in the county, which is a more timely and actionable measure, has fallen to its lowest level since 2019 (1.21%). The number of deaths in treatment is also at a four-year low, with 34 deaths in the year to March 2025, although each individual death is a tragedy. Through DATRIG funding, outreach continues to target those at highest risk, particularly opiate and crack users, with a focus on harm reduction and engagement in structured treatment. From 2025/26, deaths in treatment will replace drug and alcohol related deaths as a council KPI.
4. Community Engagement
4.1 In May and June 2025 the Safer East Sussex Team (SEST) conducted an online survey that mirrored the questions from the County Council’s Reputation Tracker survey (2017–2022). The survey asked participants to select their top three community safety and ASB concerns from a predefined list and explain their choices.
4.2 The survey received 427 responses: 233 from Wealden, 61 from Eastbourne, 56 from Hastings, 42 from Rother, and 35 from Lewes.
4.3 Respondents most frequently identified drug and alcohol misuse as a top concern (46%), followed by road safety (41%) and serious violent crime, including knife crime (37%).
4.4 The data also indicated that hate crime and fraud/scams have a more direct impact on respondents or someone they know, compared to other issues.
4.5 In Eastbourne more respondents than the county average highlighted rough sleeping/homelessness (+28%) and drug/alcohol misuse (+18%) as concerns. Hastings respondents also reported higher concern for rough sleeping/homelessness (+22%), reducing reoffending (+15%), and drug/alcohol misuse (+11%). In Lewes, more respondents identified sexual violence/abuse (+16%) and the exploitation and recruitment of young people by criminals (+13%) as key issues. Rother respondents more frequently cited serious violent crime, including knife crime (+13%), while Wealden responses largely aligned with the county average, with slightly higher concerns around fraud/scams (+7%) and theft/burglary (+7%).
4.6 Speeding and anti-social driving emerged as the most common ASB concern, with 45% of respondents selecting it among their top three. Fly-tipping/dumping (37%), drug dealing in public spaces (34%), and vandalism/criminal damage, including graffiti (31%), followed closely.
4.7 Most respondents cited ASB issues because they observed them locally. However, for nuisance/aggressive neighbours and noise disturbances from pubs, clubs, or vehicles, a higher proportion had experienced the issues directly or knew someone who had.
4.8 In Eastbourne more respondents than average identified drug dealing in public spaces (+14%) and drinking in public spaces (+15%) as concerns. Hastings also showed a higher concern for drinking in public spaces (+16%). Lewes respondents more frequently reported verbal abuse/intimidation (+13%) and fly-tipping/dumping (+10%). In Rother, fly-tipping/dumping (+13%) stood out, while Wealden respondents largely reflected the county average, with a slight increase in concern about illegal or anti-social parking (+6%).
5. Domestic Violence and Abuse
5.1 Police recorded a 2.1% increase in domestic violence crimes, rising from 6,020 in 2023/24 to 6,149 in 2024/25. However, the commissioned specialist East Sussex Domestic Abuse Service (ESDAS) received 3% fewer referrals, dropping from 2,506 to 2,432. Before 2024, the multi-crime victim support services commissioned by the Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (OSPCC) triaged medium-risk domestic abuse police referrals and passed them to the specialist provider. In early 2024 the multi-crime service began supporting these cases internally through its own Independent Domestic Abuse Advisor (IDVA) provision, reducing the number that needed to be referred on. In 2023/24 ESDAS received 297 referrals via the Victim Support Service; in 2024/25 this was 31.
5.2 In 2022/23 the Council introduced a KPI to monitor access to ESDAS by people aged 65 and over. This aimed to improve understanding of how older residents, who make up a larger than the national average share of the population, experience domestic abuse and access support. The target initially stood at 3% and later increased to 5%. In 2024/25, performance reached 4.78%, just under the target.
5.3 East Sussex also benefits from a specialist older people’s IDVA service delivered by Hourglass. Funded by the Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner and the ESCC Domestic Abuse Small Grants Fund, Hourglass offers a 24/7 helpline and a Community Response Hub that provides tailored support for older people at risk of harm, abuse, neglect, or exploitation. ESDAS is currently working with Hourglass to improve referral pathways and to encourage Adult Social Care to refer older victims in 2025/26. In 2023/24 there were a total of 678 DA referrals for Hourglass and contact was successful in 614 (91%) of cases. In 2024/25 there were a total of 533 DA referrals, and contact was successful in 422 cases (79%).
5.4 In Q4 2024/25 Sussex Police reported two deaths to the Safer Communities Partnership Board that meet the criteria to commission a Domestic Abuse Related Death Review (DARDR). The DARDR Oversight Group recommended reviews in both cases. These will be the first DARDRs since 2022/23, when one review took place.
5.5 During 2024/25 agencies discussed 1,311 high-risk domestic abuse cases at Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs). Eastbourne, Lewes, and Wealden accounted for 826 cases, 31% above the SafeLives recommended level. Hastings and Rother discussed 485 cases, 52% above the recommended level. Although MARAC referrals have increased nationally, East Sussex continues to exceed the national average. Eastbourne, Lewes, and Wealden recorded 52 MARACs per 10,000 adult women, and HR recorded 60 - compared to the UK average of 48.
5.6 The MARAC triage pilot introduced to manage rising referral volumes will continue through March 2026. This process ensures a strong multi-agency safeguarding response for high-risk victims who may not require full MARAC discussion. In 2024/25 the pilot reduced weekly MARAC cases by 29%.
5.7 Repeat referrals made up 40% of cases in Eastbourne, Lewes, and Wealden and 36% in Hastings and Rother, both within the SafeLives recommended range of 28–40%. Nationally, the repeat rate stands at 30%.
5.8 In Eastbourne, Lewes, and Wealden 25% of MARAC cases involved disabled individuals; in Hastings and Rother, the figure was 29%. These rates significantly exceed the national average of 11%, likely reflecting both a higher local rate of self-identified disability and broader interpretations of disability by referral agencies.
5.9 The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 requires upper-tier local authorities to meet the support needs of all victims in relevant safe accommodation, including those from outside the area. East Sussex prioritises local residents for the first 48 hours of any vacancy, after which the space becomes part of a national resource.
5.10 In 2024/25 East Sussex offered 41 safe accommodation (refuge) units, including shared and self-contained spaces. The self-contained units prioritised individuals who might otherwise be excluded from multi-occupancy settings, such as men and LGBTQ+ survivors. Although the commissioned capacity stands at 56 units, the provider at that time could not secure enough properties. As a result the contract ended and a new provider took over on 1 June 2025 following a recommissioning process.
5.11 The safe accommodation provider received 145 referrals during the year and accepted 60. Of those who exited the service, 87% reported feeling safer.
5.12 The County Council commissioned a new Multiple Compound Needs (MCN) service using government funding attached to the Domestic Abuse Act which went live in January 2025. The service includes both an all-gender community offer and safe accommodation for female victims of domestic abuse who have MCN. The residential service is set to launch in Autumn 2025.
5.13 This ringfenced New Burdens funding also supported a new Small Grants Domestic Abuse Fund. Six projects launched in Q4 2024/25 offering support for ethnic minority communities, older people, those in temporary accommodation, and people who have MCN. Other initiatives include child-to-parent abuse support and whole-family approaches. A second funding round opened in August 2025.
5.14 A Pan-Sussex needs assessment has been completed and has informed a refreshed strategy to be published in Q3 2025/26. This new three-year strategy will replace both the Pan-Sussex Strategic Framework for Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse and the 2021–2024 Pan-Sussex Strategy for Domestic Abuse Accommodation and Support.
5.15 The Home Office-funded, police-led, OPCC funded programme targeting high-harm domestic abuse perpetrators continued throughout 2024/25. The Multi-Agency Tasking and Coordination (MATAC) process focused on managing the most harmful and repeat offenders. By concentrating resources on these individuals, the programme has successfully reduced reoffending and demand on services. In January 2025 Sussex Police commissioned an evaluation of MATAC; this found that the programme is broadly meeting its aims, but highlighted the need for clearer selection criteria, improved data collection and stronger partner engagement.
6. Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
6.1 Throughout 2024/25 the SEST and its partners led a range of initiatives to raise awareness and promote action on VAWG. These included social media campaigns, a co-hosted ‘16 Days of Activism’ webinar with West Sussex County Council, participation in community awareness events, and the development of a comprehensive training prospectus.
6.2 Following the County Council’s White Ribbon accreditation in 2023/24, the SEST began implementing a three-year action plan. The team recruited over 30 White Ribbon Ambassadors and Champions, aiming to reach 60 by February 2027. In 2024/25 SEST partnered with Lewes Football Club to promote White Ribbon and local VAWG support services. They also established a working group of Ambassadors and Champions to oversee and support delivery of the action plan.
7. Sexual Violence and Abuse
7.1 East Sussex recorded a 6.3% increase in sexual offence reports, rising from 1,711 in 2023/24 to 1,819 in 2024/25. Improvements in police recording practices and greater willingness among victims to report incidents have contributed to this trend in recent years, although the impact of these factors appears to be diminishing.
7.2 Nationally, fewer than one in six victims of rape or sexual assault report the crime to police.
7.3 The commissioned specialist rape and sexual violence service provider in East Sussex received 13% fewer referrals, dropping from 538 in 2023/24 to 470 in 2024/25. The largest declines occurred in self-referrals, police referrals, and referrals from the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).
7.4 Survivors Network attributed some of this reduction to a recent review and improvement plan focused on data accuracy, which may have affected referral numbers. Additionally, the closure of the specialist Children’s SARC in Brighton and Hove likely contributed to the fall in referrals through that route.
8. Drug and Alcohol Related Harm
8.1 The Harm to Hope Strategy in East Sussex focuses on achieving long-term health and crime reduction outcomes. The Harm to Hope Board drives this work through three sub-groups:
· Enforcement Sub-Group – disrupting drug supply chains.
· Treatment and Recovery Sub-Group – building a world-class treatment and recovery system.
· Prevention Sub-Group – aiming to reduce demand for drugs across generations.
8.2 The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) set a target of 2,694 adults in treatment by the end of 2024/25. East Sussex exceeded this target by reaching 2,799, an increase from 2,613 the previous year. The number of people in treatment for opiates remained stable over the past three years, while treatment numbers for non-opiate and alcohol-only users rose.
8.3 In 2023 OHID introduced a new performance measure to track treatment progress. East Sussex outperformed the national average in this area, although performance dipped slightly in 2024/25:
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2022/23 |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
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East Sussex |
51.44% |
55.20% |
48.55% |
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England |
47.30% |
47.01% |
46.78% |
8.4 East Sussex also improved its continuity of care for people released from prison. The proportion of individuals with ongoing treatment needs who engaged with community services within three weeks of release rose to 60.49% in 2024/25, surpassing the national average:
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2022/23 |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
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East Sussex |
47.17% |
49.18% |
60.49% |
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England |
41.07% |
50.29% |
56.69% |
8.5 The local system continues to review all drug and alcohol-related deaths of those in treatment and is currently aligning its processes with updated government guidance and best practice.
8.6 Being in treatment significantly reduces the risk of drug-related death. The commissioned treatment provider has adopted a national strategy to increase service access. By the end of 2024/25 deaths amongst people in treatment dropped to their lowest level since October 2019 (1.21%), with the actual number of deaths falling to 32, the lowest since September 2020 (based on a rolling 12-month figure).
8.7 Opiate users remain at particularly high risk. Although funding for specialist support teams focused on Hastings ended in March 2025, the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant (DATRIG) enabled the delivery of a cross-county complex case team and outreach provision. These services carry forward the legacy of Project ADDER into 2025/26, helping individuals access harm reduction advice and structured treatment.
9. Fraud and Scams
9.1 Fraud remains the most common crime type in the UK, accounting for 41% of all recorded crime.
9.2 Action Fraud serves as the national reporting centre for fraud. While it does not investigate cases directly, it forwards reports to local police forces when a suspect has been identified. Between January and March 2025, East Sussex recorded 613 individual Action Fraud reports, an 11% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.
9.3 Courier fraud/impersonation and doorstep crime/rogue trading emerged as the most frequently reported types of fraud. Many of the victims for these crime types (60%) were aged 75 plus, and 62% lived alone.
9.4 ESCC’s Trading Standards Team delivered targeted communications throughout 2024/25 to help those most at risk of scams and fraud. The team provided advice to hundreds of vulnerable individuals and directly supported or investigated 290 cases involving scams, doorstep crime, or financial abuse.
9.5 In addition, Trading Standards launched a project targeting vulnerable groups likely to purchase or use unsafe e-bikes, e-scooters, or battery conversion kits, many of which have links to house fires. The project focused on gig economy workers, residents of Houses of Multiple Occupation, young commuters, and businesses such as vape shops. Working with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and local businesses, the initiative reached over 30,000 residents and consumers.
9.6 Trading Standards continues to collaborate with Sussex Police on Operation Signature, ensuring that the most appropriate agency supports each victim. This approach places victims at the centre of the response while allowing police to focus on the most serious cases.
9.7 Operation Signature ensures that vulnerable fraud victims receive a face-to-face visit at their home address where possible by a uniformed officer or Police Community Support Officer. The visit to the victims is to offer reassurance, advice, and where appropriate, to refer to Victim Support for additional safeguarding and referrals to appropriate step down agencies.
9.8 Between January and March 2025, Operation Signature received 224 referrals in East Sussex, a 21% decrease from the previous year.
10. Preventing Violent Extremism
10.1 Counter Terrorism Policing South-East (CTPSE) produces the annual Counter Terrorism Local Profile (CTLP) to assess local risk. Partner agencies use this profile to guide their efforts, which may include tailored training packages for specific themes or audiences.
10.2 In 2024/25 the Home Office assessed the East Sussex Prevent Group through its annual assurance process. The partnership met all benchmarks and exceeded expectations in four out of seven areas. The assessment highlighted strengths in risk assessment and training.
10.3 The East Sussex Channel Panel continues to operate in line with Home Office guidance. This multi-agency panel, coordinated and chaired by the County Council, identifies individuals at risk of radicalisation and provides targeted support. Channel remains a voluntary and confidential early intervention programme. Counter-Terrorism Police screen all referrals and each person accepted into Channel receives a tailored support plan using local and national resources. Support continues until the risk reduces. The panel reports its activity to the Prevent Group.
10.4 To build trust and improve understanding of Prevent, the Prevent Group developed a multi-agency Communication and Engagement Strategy in Q1 2025/26. This strategy aims to increase public and partner confidence in Prevent and improve awareness of referral pathways.
10.5 In 2024/25 the Safer East Sussex Team (SEST) delivered 73 Prevent awareness and training sessions and engaged with communities at 34 events. The team focused particularly on raising awareness among special educational needs providers and supporting community cohesion following the Southport attacks.
11. Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
11.1 In 2024/25 the East Sussex Violence Reduction Partnership expanded its remit to include adult criminal and sexual exploitation, such as cuckooing and county lines activity, rebranding as the Violence and Exploitation Reduction Partnership (VERP). To better understand the scale and nature of these issues, partners launched a data project which will involve developing an exploitation dashboard collating information from across the partnership.
11.2 The County Council referred 24 potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Of these, 22 were children and 2 were adults. During the same period, Sussex Police submitted 78 NRM referrals,45 adults and 33 children.
12. Serious Violence
12.1 In 2024/25 VERP updated its Needs Assessment, identifying seven key areas of risk. Based on this assessment, the partnership developed a new Preventing Serious Violence and Exploitation Strategy.
12.2 To support the Serious Violence Duty (2022), VERP completed a two-year, place-based project funded by the Home Office’s Serious Violence Duty implementation grant in 2024. The project engaged individuals who lived in wards that are most affected by serious violence. Their insights shaped targeted, multi-agency interventions aimed at improving community safety and reducing harm. Examples include Crimestoppers Zones to promote reporting, the Newhaven Youth Work Infrastructure Forum, partnership Days of Action, designing crime initiatives such as lighting/CCTV, and targeted detached youth outreach.
12.3 VERP secured further Home Office funding to tackle knife crime, support children and families affected by criminal and sexual exploitation and implement a contextual safeguarding approach in communities facing the highest levels of harm.
12.4 In Baird Ward, Hastings, a contextual safeguarding assessment, young people’s voices research, and design-out crime interventions supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the VERP, led to an 80% reduction in violent crime reports.
13. Changing Futures Programme - Multiple and Compound Needs (MCN)
13.1 The Changing Futures Programme is a £77 million joint initiative by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and The National Lottery Community Fund funded until March 2026.
13.2 Changing Futures works across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove to test new ways of bringing together public and community sector partners to help people who face multiple disadvantage change their lives for the better. Multi-disciplinary teams located in Adult Social Care offer intensive, non-time-limited, trauma-informed, and person-centred casework to small caseloads of people with very complex needs. Ringfenced domestic abuse funding will sustain elements of multi-disciplinary teams in East Sussex through to March 2028.
13.3 In East Sussex, Changing Futures supported 35 people in the last quarter of 2024/25, and has supported 86 people in total since the beginning of the programme.
14. District and Borough Community Safety Partnerships
14.1 The Digital Intelligence Sharing Capability (DISC) system continues to support local efforts to tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour, including shoplifting. While Eastbourne and Hastings had already adopted the system, 2024/25 saw its rollout to Lewes, Rother, and Wealden.
14.2 In Lewes, the Business Crime Reduction Partnership oversees DISC, which now includes 70 retail and night-time economy businesses. Hastings experienced a rise in business crime reports as more users engaged with the system, although limited participation from smaller and larger stores has affected data accuracy. Rother launched DISC in October 2024 to encourage reporting of shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. Wealden has a seen strong uptake, including the creation of two dedicated youth offender galleries. Environmental Health teams are also promoting DISC to smaller retailers.
14.3 Wealden Community Safety Partnership funded neighbourhood mediation services, available to all residents. The housing team also allocated funding to support tenants who may need mediation.
14.4 In Hailsham street drinking has increased. Sussex Police, the Town Council, and Wealden District Council are currently discussing responses.
14.5 Hastings has seen a rise in graffiti and under-reporting of crimes such as criminal damage and anti-social behaviour. Littering and enforcement challenges also remain ongoing issues. However, the town has seen a significant drop in night time economy related crime and violent incidents.
14.6 The Hastings and Rother areas have reported positive outcomes from the Hate and Anti-Social Behaviour Risk Assessment Conference and cuckooing meetings. Hastings gated five public rights of way to try to address anti-social behaviour and environmental crime. Local street community anti-social behaviour has declined thanks to enforcement of Public Spaces Protection Orders, support from the Rough Sleeper Prevention and Recovery Programme and voluntary and community sector engagement.
15. East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership Priorities for 2025/26
15.1 The 2025/26 annual refresh of the SCPB Business Plan is attached at Appendix 2.
16. Conclusion and Recommendations
16.1 People Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider and comment on the performance across the Safer Communities Partnership during 2024/25.
MARK STAINTON
Director of Adult Social Care & Health
Officer Contact: Michaela Richards, Head of Safer Communities
Email: Michaela.Richards@eastsussex.gov.uk
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Summary of Funding
Appendix 2: Safer Communities Business Plan refresh 2025/26