Battleship stations for police

As Chief Inspector Martin Walker welcomed the Sussex-wide new style of policing on Monday, he told his new officers he wanted to make the district the best in the country.

"It might sound like pie in the sky at the moment, because crime has been rising in Adur, but from this week the sector is seeing a large influx of staff.

"Up to 60 officers will be working in dedicated teams to prevent, reduce and detect crime.

"We have gone from having a minesweeper policing the district to a full-blown battleship.

"All areas of crime are up in Adur and most of it is committed by young people aged from 11 to 20.

"We want to get the message out to them that it won't be tolerated. If you are committing crime in Adur, you will be arrested and prosecuted."

The Adur police sector covering the Adur district from Shoreham police station now has a chief inspector, two inspectors and five sergeants.

For the first time in years, it has a dedicated CID department headed by a detective inspector, two detective sergeants and six detective constables.

Adur has in the past been a satellite of Hove police or Worthing police, but from now it becomes a sector in its own right, along with Worthing, Arun and Chichester, which together form West Downs police division.

Inspector Paul Amoo, who took over at Adur last April, becomes responsible for the five neighbourhood policing teams, each dedicated to a beat led by five sergeants. Inspector Ed de la Rue is responsible for operation policing and crime reduction.

There will also be front-office staff, school liaison officers, a licensing officer, crime prevention officers, tutors, specials and support staff.

Later in the year, the two police stations in Adur should be open longer.