Future-fit policing

Of more than 2,000 people surveyed last year, 14.6 per cent had visited a police station in the last 12 months.

Many of these were planned visits required by police, such as to produce driving documents or to give a statement. Alternative ways of doing these things - either at a more convenient local location, by phone or online - could be quicker, easier and cheaper than visiting a police station.

This review of policing and the public consultation is part of the Serving Sussex 2015 programme of work, which is looking to achieve the £52m of savings Sussex Police must make before 2015, while ensuring an excellent service continues to be delivered to the public.

Chief Constable Martin Richards said: “This consultation will help us find the best ways to modernise how people contact us and use our services. It will help locate alternative, convenient contact locations in the heart of communities and we’ll also be looking at things people would prefer to do online or perhaps via mobile phone.

“Some of our current buildings and working practices were designed decades ago to serve an incredibly different world. We need to be future-fit and replacing inefficient, out-of-date ways of working with more suitable and convenient alternatives is essential.”

To take part in the consultation now, you can fill out a questionnaire at www.sussex.police.uk - click the ‘Your Views’ link on the home page.

There will be regular neighbourhood street briefings across Sussex during the next month, with details available online, or you can email views to [email protected]