Safer Arun Partnership meeting minutes 29 April 2025

Tuesday 29 April 2025 - 2pm

Held via MS Teams

Attendees:

  • AB Cllr. Alan Butcher - Chair
  • CR Carrie Reynolds - Communities & Wellbeing Manager, Arun DC
  • AOK Alex O'Keefe - Community Safety Manger, WSCC
  • MS Magdalena Steele - Partnership Analyst, WSCC
  • AC Adrian Carter - Group Manager, WSF&RS
  • WKJ CI Will Keating-Jones - District Commander, Arun and Chichester, Sussex Police
  • NW Nicola Walker - Partnership Manager, Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner
  • SL Suzanne Ley, Senior Probation Officer, Probation
  • KB Kate Belbin - Partnership Manager, West Division, Sussex Police
  • SM Simon Morris - Head of Partnerships, Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner
  • DOC Dax O'Connor - Community Safety Officer, Arun DC

Joined after item 5 -

  • AG Alison Griffiths, MP
  • BS Ben Sewell, Office of Alison Griffiths MP

Apologies given:

RW Insp. Ross Wickings - Arun Neighbourhood Policing Team, Sussex Police
AG Annabelle Goodenough - Regional Manager, Crimestoppers
MR Maria Redon - Public Health Analyst, WSCC

These notes are intended to provide an overview of the meeting discussions rather than a full and detailed account. The wider information exchanged is operationally and personally sensitive so is not recorded within these publicly available notes.

Agenda item 1:

Welcome

Chair welcomed all attendees and facilitated introductions.

Agenda item 2:

Apologies

Confirmation of apologies given as set out above.

Agenda item 3:

Declarations of interest

None declared.

Agenda item 4:

Minutes and matters arising from previous meeting on 28 January 2025

Meeting notes agreed as accurate reflection of the meeting. Actions completed.

Agenda item 5:

Strategic Intelligence Assessment

MS gave a presentation of latest data in relation to the partnership's strategic priorities and emerging trends. NB: the data is not currently available for wider sharing.

Detailed discussions around the data took place as members look towards reviewing the current partnership plan and setting priorities and objectives from January 2026.

ACTION:

  • All SAP members to consider the data shared and review the partnership's strategic priorities.

Agenda item 6:

Drug demand profile local network

AOK gave a presentation about the latest action following publication of the 'Understanding & Reducing Drug Demand in West Sussex' reports for all district and boroughs. This has now resulted in the formation of local working groups, to be led by community safety partnerships (CSP), who will look at local priorities and actions. It is acknowledged that there is already a lot of work agencies are doing to combat the demand and use of illegal substances and so this is also an opportunity to collate that.

The link to the report was shared in the meeting chat - https://jsna.westsussex.gov.uk/assets/living-well/Arun_Drug_Demand_Profile_November_2024.pdf

ACTION:

  • DO to contact partners and other agencies to set up local working group.

Agenda item 7:

Funding support application

DO presented an application from Crimestoppers to deliver a dedicated campaign in the Arun district, raising awareness of the charity, encouraging people to report crime anonymously, provide reassurance to the public, and delivery of Fearless programme information to schools and children and young people.

3 package options were provided by Crimestoppers and considered by partners. It was unanimously agreed to support the 'gold' option at a cost of £2,900.

ACTION:

  • DO to liaise with Crimestoppers to arrange implementation of the campaign.

Agenda item 8:

Partnership funding statement

Unallocated balance of £45,733 as at meeting date noted by partners. This amount assumed grant funding of £48,171 from the Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner would be confirmed.

NOTE:

  • OSPCC funding has since been confirmed to the amount set out above.

Agenda item 9:

AOB

9.1 DO introduced the suggestion of a quarterly CSP newsletter to promote the partnership and the work being delivered by partners to tackle crime and ASB. A rough draft was shared to illustrate the kind of information that could be put out.

The discussion that followed considered

  • Regularity of issue
  • What resources are available to deliver this
  • How to promote the work being delivered without raising the fear of crime
  • Would this be a hard copy, sign up to receive via email, available on social media only
  • Does this deliver anything more than is being shared already
  • Why wait for a quarterly newsletter, should agencies not be doing this at the time of an operation

DO noted that this would be intended as a way of highlighting what the CSP is and what is does - following on from previous public consultations where the public have stated that they are not aware of the Safer Arun Partnership. The type of content would not be operational but share the projects that SAP is funding and raise awareness of community issues.
ACTION:

  • DO to send questionnaire to SAP partners for thoughts on whether to progress this proposal and, if so, how.

9.2 WKJ gave an update confirming that 4 new PCs have been recruited for Arun and Chichester Neighbourhood Policing Teams, and a new Sergeant is in post for Bognor Regis town centre.
Sussex Police are looking at a new intake of PCSOs and it is hoped this will benefit Arun.

Operation Redeem launching as a dedicated response to issues raised in Bognor Regis town centre. Comms will be issued shortly and will see high visibility patrols and engagement activities.

Next Safer Arun Partnership meeting

Tuesday 21 October 2025 - 2pm - MS Teams