Hello

This week, I am delighted to welcome back Jo Shiner as Chief Constable for Sussex Police.
Mrs Shiner retired on 31 August but applied to me to rejoin the force after a short break under the 'retire and rejoin scheme'. This scheme is open to all police officers in England and Wales regardless of rank and is designed to ensure the retention of valuable policing skills, knowledge and experience.

On Friday 27 September, the Sussex Police & Crime Panel held a confirmation hearing where they unanimously supported my proposed re-appointment of Mrs Shiner to the position of Chief Constable.

In my recommendation to panel members, I stressed the importance that continuity of strong and proven leadership brings and the need to retain experienced senior officers of the highest calibre for the benefit of Sussex.

During her confirmation hearing, Mrs Shiner spoke about her memories of being a trainee police officer over 32 years ago and how her goal then to "look after the good people, lock up the bad and do the right thing" hasn't really changed.

She also reflected on the challenges that she and her officers face when policing the second largest airport in the country, as well as the city of Brighton, which is one of the most visited places in the country, and the complexities that arise with parts of Sussex being classified as 'super rural'.

When asked by the panel about her most significant achievement in policing Sussex, Mrs Shiner said "I do believe we have managed to forge a culture and a really productive pace at which we’re able to: recruit the right people; we’re able to train the right skills; we’re able to respond really flexibly to what is happening within our communities and what’s happening nationally."

Stalking - let's talk about it

Last week, the response to a super-complaint on stalking was published by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. A super-complaint provides a vehicle through which designated bodies can raise concerns on behalf of the public about negative patterns or trends in policing and highlight any urgent need for systemic improvements in the police response.  Any resulting recommendations have to be responded to within a set number of days. Having had first-hand experience of being stalked, I know just how pernicious this crime is. It can take many forms, on and offline, and anyone can be affected. It leaves victims feeling increasingly scared and distressed as the offender’s fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated behaviour impacts their lives. The report and its important recommendations is a valuable reminder that, whilst there have been some improvements in the police response nationally to stalking, there is still far more that must be done to ensure better and consistent support for those who are the targets of this unwanted and terrifying behaviour. I spoke about this in more detail on BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme on Friday. You can listen to it by following the below link and going to timestamp: 48:30. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00237m3   Katy Bourne OBE Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner