Hello

On Tuesday, I attended a roundtable hosted by Kent's Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott, bringing together the South East PCCs and key partner agencies to discuss tackling organised waste crime across our region.

'Waste crime' is a broad term covering anything from fly-tipping to large-scale commercial waste disposal. These activities are illegal, hazardous to our environment, extremely costly to clear up and by no means victimless.

In 2023/24, over 100,000 cases of fly-tipping occurred in the South East with 49,000 of these on highways, 28,000 on public land and 3,000 on private land. Many of these crimes are carried out by organised crime gangs who use tipper lorries and large vans.

At the roundtable we heard from partners including the Environment Agency (EA) National Farmers Union, The Country Land and Business Association and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit. We discussed prevention, disruption, data-sharing, enforcement and reporting.

Whilst it is the responsibility of local authorities and the EA to investigate, clear and enforce the law on these matters, it is vital that police forces are sighted and give full support to operations that involve catching these brazen criminals.

I spoke to ITV (timestamp - 02:30) and BBC Radio Sussex (timestamp - 2:12:40)  during the day to share my thoughts, particularly on using technology to take down these gangs. We know that many people use video doorbells so I suggested that, if people catch illegal waste crime on their cameras and the footage is then used to successfully prosecute someone, the owner of that footage should be eligible to receive a percentage of the fine levied on the offender?

You can hear more about my thoughts on this on my radio interview with BBC and news feature with ITV by clicking the links above.

This week is Volunteers’ Week – an annual campaign giving the opportunity for all organisations, businesses and industries to shine a light on the outstanding commitment of volunteers.

Volunteering is a fundamental part of our society. In the UK, 14.2 million people have volunteered at least once a month and 25 million people in the UK have volunteered at least once per year. The hours put in by volunteers is estimated to have resulted in £4.6 billion in productivity gains to the UK economy in 2024, which I am sure you will agree is remarkable.

Here in Sussex, we have a wealth of brilliant volunteer groups and one of them is my ‘Platinum Status’ Independent Custody Visitor (ICV) scheme.

ICVs regularly make unannounced visits to police custody suites to check on the welfare of detainees. Their role is to make sure that people being held are treated fairly, respectfully and in accordance with the law because we are all innocent until proven guilty in court.

Our scheme has achieved significant milestones in enhancing detainees’ welfare, influencing national policy and setting standards for independent oversight in police custody.

Earlier this year, the team were awarded Platinum Status for an unprecedented second time. They have also developed a national health referral pathway, influenced night-time lighting safety standards in custody across the country as well as achieving various awards and local and national recognition.

You can read more about their amazing work on my website.

The team’s role is invaluable in helping me to scrutinise the work of Sussex Police and hold them to the highest standards. They carry out crucial work with impartiality and professionalism and also work closely with our Border Force Custody Suite. Their work not only supports people but police dogs too, through the Animal Welfare Scheme at Gatwick and I am incredibly proud of our ICVs.

To all volunteers who selflessly give their time, not just to the police but to all emergency service organisations, you truly are a lifeline. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to your community and to society at large.

Katy Bourne OBE
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner