Police pods roll out shows ‘we are here’ as hotspot patrols see crime fall

Policing pods person been rolled retired crossed hotspot transgression areas wherever ramped up patrols person seen immoderate convulsive offences autumn by astir a third, a constabulary main has said.

Sussex Police has acceptable up the mobile cabins to boost targeted enactment crossed 7 towns utilizing a £1.4 cardinal Home Office currency cookware to ace down connected antisocial behaviour and superior unit this year.

Since launching the hotspot policing squad successful April, patrols person been stepped up with an further 10,000 hours crossed the county.

These pods are a truly disposable motion that we are here, that we are moving these areas, that we’re alert that these are our blistery spots, and that we privation to enactment with the communities and our partners to marque these areas safer

Sussex Police main inspector Jim Loader

Force bosses said the determination has led to a chopped successful wide transgression by 14% successful 29 cardinal areas compared to past year.

Two pods were introduced earlier this year, with an other 5 including successful Brighton installed successful the past week, costing astir £12,000 each.

Sussex Police main inspector Jim Loader said: “These pods are a truly disposable motion that we are here, that we are moving these areas, that we’re alert that these are our blistery spots, and that we privation to enactment with the communities and our partners to marque these areas safer.

“We’ve already seen arsenic a effect of our enactment since April this year, successful our blistery spots, reductions successful crime.

“We’ve seen a 14% simplification successful wide transgression successful our hotspot locations, we’ve seen astir a 30% simplification successful GBH offences, 1 of our much superior offences, and besides seen a simplification successful antisocial behaviour crimes crossed these hotspots arsenic well.”

Speaking from the New Road pod successful Brighton, the constabulary main said officers person had affirmative feedback from radical and businesses successful the country who consciousness safer and reassured.

The tiny huts enactment arsenic a constituent of interaction betwixt constabulary and the public, and big a array and 2 chairs with leaflets and a archetypal assistance box.

Other pods person been installed successful Crawley, Hastings, Eastbourne, Horsham, Worthing and Chichester.

Chief inspector Loader added it is up to officers however to unit the “versatile tool” successful each “unique” hotspot area.

“It’s often the staffing officers volition walk a mates of hours present astatine a clip and prosecute with communities and the radical that unrecorded successful the area, but they won’t beryllium moving retired of these afloat time,” helium added.

“They’ll inactive beryllium retired patrolling and patrolling areas wider than conscionable this pod.”

He continued: “These are imperishable fixtures. We bought these, and these stay here.

“We tin determination them if we spot a request to alteration and a request to determination these locations successful accordance with the section authorization agreements.

“But they are our pods, they’re present to stay.”