Sussex Police launch new initiative to crack down on serious and organised crime in Crawley

Clear, Hold, Build (CHB) is a brand new three-phased approach, which is delivered by the Crawley Community Safety Partnership alongside Crawley Borough Council and West Sussex County Council, to tackle organised crime and take an active role in shaping the community.

‘Clear’ means working with partners to target activity and crime disruption, ‘Hold’ is stabilising the area to stop criminals moving in to fill the void, and ‘Build’ is the community-driven action to address the causes of criminality and prevent it from happening again.

The initiative will target Crawley town centre; the High Street is the highest recorded repeat location of organised crime in Crawley, with multiple offences also around Queens Square and Memorial Gardens.

Northgate will also be an area which will be targeted by CHB.

CHB looks at serious and organised crime which can include, but is not limited to; knife crime, anti-social behaviour, violence and drug offences.

Crawley has seen a 20% increase in serious violence offences and a 20% increase in weapon related crimes over the last 12 months.

The CHB approach is specifically aimed at responding to these forms of criminality, bringing offenders to justice and creating a safe space for the community to enjoy.

CHB will bring together the best of existing skills, assets and capabilities of police and partners in a coordinated and coherent way to stop organised crime in Crawley.

The outcome of the project is to increase community and partnership participation and to ensure our community is safe.

Superintendent Nick Dias said: “We have worked with partners, the community, and various organisations to create CHB. This project was launched with a long-term vision to ensure we are a safer, stronger, Crawley.

“This initiative represents an exciting collaborative effort which aspires to make Crawley a safer, more vibrant and more enjoyable space for those who live, work, or visit the town centre.

“Overall, our aim is to reduce crime and increase safety.”

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Crawley, Steve Turner, said: “Our focus on serious and organised crime remains a focus in the region.

“Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams are proven lines directly into communities; using their knowledge of local criminals and their patch can support organised crime intelligence, investigations and convictions.

“By adding the CHB model, we can strengthen our approach and ensure it is being disrupted from all angles.”

This is the first CHB scheme for Sussex Police, and following the pilot, it will be assessed with the aim of launching it in other areas across the force.

This initiative has launched alongside Sussex Police’s brand-new Crawley Engagement Pod on Monday, October 30.

The engagement hub’s aim is to increase engagement and community reassurance and provide a safe space for people to talk about any concerns they may have.