Category: News

Sussex Police will lead the way on climate change if Labour is elected on 2 May. The Labour & Co-operative candidate for Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Paul Richards has set out bold plans to make Sussex Police net zero.

Paul Richards says: ‘Sussex Police has a huge carbon footprint – buildings, vehicles, travel. If elected on 2 May, I will introduce my Green Plan for Policing, starting by appointing an environmental champion to show the way. Together, we will:

* ensure all new buildings and repairs are environmentally-friendly

* shift police patrols onto foot, bike, and scooter and away from petrol vehicles

* insulate police buildings to save energy and costs to the taxpayer

* conduct an audit of the entire Sussex police estate and turn land and buildings over to green schemes – bee-friendly planting, community allotments, affordable housing for key workers, and cycle paths 

* take plastic out of the police supply chain

* shift the millions of pounds that the police spend every year towards Co-ops, small and medium enterprises, and community businesses

* work with local environmental groups and schools on tackling graffiti and vandalism and to clean up eyesores

* establish a new ‘Green Award’ for the police officer or civilian staffer with the best environmental initiative of the year. 

The Green Plan for Policing will form part of Paul Richards’ plan for policing across Sussex.

The rural villages and farms of West Sussex are facing an epidemic of crime, including vandalism, theft of equipment, and fly-tipping. 

Paul Richards, speaking at Wisborough Green Village Hall, in the Arundel and South Downs constituency, told his audience that tackling rural crime would be a priority for Labour.

‘I’m hearing from rural communities that crime and antisocial behaviour is out of control. The problem is criminal gangs targeting farms for lucrative equipment such as GPS systems. And it is antisocial behaviour because some young people have nowhere to go after school or college’.

‘As police and crime commissioner, I would open four new rural crime hubs, including two in West Sussex to improve local intelligence-gathering and speed up police response times. And I will re-introduce neighbourhood police teams, enmeshed in the communities they serve, to prevent crime and reassure the public.’

‘The truth is that after 14 years, the Tories have failed on crime. Cutting 20,000 police was a huge error, and we have all paid the price, especially in the rural areas. That’s why it is time for change.’

Paul Richards is the Labour & Co-operative candidate for Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner. The election is  on Thursday 2 May 2024. 

New figures show victims of burglary wait over three hours.

If you’re the victim of burglary in Sussex, the police are taking twice as long to turn up compared to two years earlier. Labour has claimed ‘victims are being let down.’

New figures revealed through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show that in 2020/21 the average wait was 1 hour and 43 minutes. The latest figures for 2022/23 reveal the average wait is 3 hours and 32 minutes.

Labour and Co-operative candidate for Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Paul Richards said:

‘Sussex Police are stretched beyond breaking point. Today’s figures show that victims of burglary are being let down, as the time spent waiting has doubled in two years. That means that victims are left traumatised for longer, and the opportunities for detection and arrest are reduced. No wonder eight in ten burglaries in Sussex go unsolved.

‘I’ve been the victim of burglary. I know now terrible it can be, and how victims feel violated and scared. Every minute counts. We must improve police response times, and one step is my plan to recruit more Sussex police officers, PCSOs, and civilian staff.’

Paul Richards has launched his manifesto More Police, Safer Streets, Stronger Communities which sets out a plan for more police in neighbourhood teams.

The election for Police and Crime Commissioner is on Thursday 2 May. Remember you need VOTER ID to vote! If you don’t have any then its easy – just apply online here!

‘I’ll transform policing in Sussex’ – that’s the message from the Labour & Co-op candidate for police and crime commissioner (PCC) Paul Richards.

Mr Richards, 56, is a local father-of-two and a community activist and campaigner. He came second in 2021’s elections for PCC and this time he aims to win. Paul is calling for more police patrols in neighbourhoods to crack down on shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, more support for victims and witnesses, and more services for young people like boxing clubs.

The election on Thursday 2 May 2024 – put the date in your diary and get ready to vote for change.

On a recent visit to the Co-op in Worthing, Labour’s Paul Richards met with shopworkers to hear about the epidemic of looting.

‘I was genuinely shocked at what I saw and heard’ said Paul Richards, ‘Looting is a daily event, with the police seldom responding. The looters are well-known in the town, are stealing to order, and even supplying food like steaks and olive oil to local restaurants.

I stand with shopworkers’ union USDAW in supporting shopworkers, and as police and crime commissioner I will ensure police turn up to arrest looters, and we tackle the addiction issues that so often fuel looting.’

Labour’s Paul Richards met Brighton Kemptown Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle to discuss plans for more police patrols across Brighton & Hove.

‘We discussed community policing, tackling antisocial behaviour, and building trust in the community. Policing in a major city like Brighton & Hove must be conducted with consent, and the support of all communities’ said Paul.

Paul Richards recently met with Helena Dollimore, the Labour candidate in Hastings, to discuss putting more police patrols on the streets of Hastings & Rye.

Paul said ‘when Helena Dollimore is elected MP for Hastings & Rye, I will work closely with her to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime in Hastings, Rye, and the surrounding villages’.

Paul Richards is proud to be the Labour & Co-operative candidate for police and crime commissioner.

As a member of the East Sussex Co-op Party, Paul is keen to promote a new co-op approach to policing in Sussex.

That means supporting the Co-op Party’s campaigns to tackle shop theft, to promote ethical procurement, and to support local co-ops in beating crime and anti-social behaviour.