Hello

Sussex Police has launched its Christmas crackdown on drink and drug-drivers, stepping up patrols this month - in addition to routine roads policing duties 365 days a year - to ensure it protects all road users in Sussex and brings offenders to justice.

In 2024, there were 70 collisions in Sussex where someone was killed or seriously injured (KSIs) related to alcohol and 48 related to drugs.

This compares to 27 KSIs for alcohol and 19 for drugs in 2023; and 46 KSIs for alcohol and 8 for drugs in 2022.

A total of 270 drink and drug-driving arrests were made in Sussex during the last month-long campaign, which ran from 1 December 2024 to 1 January 2025.

Many motorists may not realise they are still over the limit for alcohol the morning after Christmas parties or a night out with friends.

Meanwhile, those who consume drugs may not realise that the chemicals stay in their bodies for a long time - often days or weeks - which means they can be over the drug-drive limit for a considerable period after taking them.

This year, alongside its drink-drive messaging, Sussex Police is promoting a new drug-driving campaign: ‘Think Again’.

This campaign challenges the myths people use to justify drug-driving at Christmas and reinforces the reality of enforcement.

The safest choice is simple: don’t drink or take drugs and drive. Plan ahead, get a taxi, use public transport or stay over - because no celebration is worth a life.

In keeping with previous campaigns, Sussex Police will be publishing the names of some of those convicted to raise awareness of the issue and to act as a deterrent to others from committing the same offence.

If you know someone is driving while over the limit or after taking drugs, call 999.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report it on the Crimestoppers website.

Rural crimes must not be overlooked

I recently convened a rural crime roundtable, attended by Sussex Police Deputy Chief Constable Dave McLaren, local councillors, Sussex Police’s Rural Crime Team (RCT) and nearly 40 members of the farming community in West Sussex who had expressed a deep concern about the number of crimes they were experiencing.

Areas suffering persistent crime levels in West Sussex included Chichester, Midhurst, Havant, Petworth and Chiddingly. Farmers and landowners were experiencing the killing of wildlife and livestock, harassment, criminal damage and hare coursing.

At the meeting, I encouraged residents to be frank about their experiences of rural crime and to put their questions directly to Sussex Police. The farming community and Sussex Police agreed that a closer, joint approach to information-sharing and faster responses to live incidents are an essential first step.

Better use of technology, such as automatic number plate recognition, was a key ask from the community to track down offenders who frequently move from farm to farm. Local councillors were asked to explore how their councils might fund more cameras in the rural areas.

Rural-based crimes must not be overlooked or be treated with less importance because the negative impact can be extensive.

I agree with the farmers who said we need to get ahead of criminals - we know their patterns, we know the hotspot areas so let’s get measures in place to stop them before they create more harm to livelihoods and livestock.

I want to assure our rural community that I will monitor progress and actions from this meeting closely with Sussex Police to ensure we see improvements. I am also hoping to assemble a similar rural crime roundtable in East Sussex soon.

Katy Bourne OBE
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner