Your neighbourhood policing team
James joined Sussex Police in 2004 and has dedicated his career to protecting communities. As a Police Constable and Sergeant, he spent his early years in Brighton in a variety of uniformed roles, including Response, Investigations, Neighbourhood Policing and Community Safety. This diverse experience provided him with a solid foundation in all aspects of police work.
After becoming an Inspector, James spent several years as a Critical Incident Inspector before becoming a Firearms Commander. He later transitioned to lead the Children and Young Persons Team, focusing on supporting and diverting children away from the Criminal Justice system.
In November 2023, James moved to West Sussex Division as a Chief Inspector, and in April 2024, he became the District Commander for Adur, Worthing and Horsham. In this role, he is responsible for leading Response Policing, who attend emergency and priority incidents across the District. In addition, he oversees the Neighbourhood Policing Teams, which work closely with local partners to tackle the more entrenched issues within the community.
Alongside his current role James is an accredited Force Critical Incident Manager, the Business Crime Lead for West Sussex and maintains an active role as a Force Tactical Firearms Commander.
The Neighbourhood Inspector has overall responsibility for the entire neighbourhood policing team of Sergeants, Police Constables, PCSOs and police staff. They are responsible for delivering on neighbourhood policing strategies, directing the deployment of the team and developing relationships with partners and key stakeholders, to enable the neighbourhood policing team to work effectively.
The Neighbourhood Sergeant provides front line leadership to coordinate neighbourhood team activity, and works with the community, partners and other colleagues to deliver safer neighbourhoods.
This includes directing problem solving and engagement activity, and being responsive to community needs.
Sergeant Hammond covers the following areas
- Nuthurst
- Lower Beeding
- Southwater
- Itchingfield
- Slinfold
- Rudgwick
- Warnham
- Rusper
- Colgate
- Broadbridge Heath
- Holbrook East and West
- North Horsham
- Forest
Police Constables work in the community to tackle local issues and crimes. They provide a visible, accessible and approachable uniformed presence in the community, and are responsive to local needs.
They take a problem solving approach to issues, work with partners, focus on engagement and target their activity where it is needed most.
PC Bailey covers the following areas
- Billingshurst
- Slinfold
- Rudgwick
- Holbrook
- Rusper
- Ifield Green
- Warnham
- North Heath
- Roffey
- Colgate
- Kilnwood Vale
- Faygate
- Forest
- Lower Beeding
- Mannings Heath
- Nuthurst
- Maplehurst
- Horsham Town
PCSOs provide a visible, accessible and approachable uniformed presence in the community, using designated powers where needed, deterring and preventing crime, and tackling antisocial behaviour.
They are problem solvers and work with partners, where needed, to address local issues.
PCSO Symmons covers the following areas
- Holbrook
- Rusper
- Ifield Green
- Warnham
- North Heath
Crimes and priorities
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Priority:
Action taken:
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Priority:
Antisocial Driving and Speeding
Action taken:
We continue to work with local communities and stakeholders to listen to their concerns surrounding anti-social road related issues.
We continue to support and promote force-wide campaigns, targeted operations with specialist units, and road related activity including Operation Downsway deployments.
We also liaise with local Community Speedwatch groups, deploy officers for speed checks, as well as encourage residents to utilise the Operation Crackdown service for reporting.
Speed checks are being carried out on Sundays, when this happens more regularly, to coincide with car meets at the café
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Priority:
Retail Crime
Action taken:
The Neighbourhood Policing Team continues to target persistent offenders and engage with partners and local businesses to offer support, conduct preventative work where appropriate and patrol areas of concern.
Our PCSO's visit local retailers offering advice on how to report retail crime which includes shoplifting and abuse towards staff and customers.
Additionally, we support 'Shop Kind' campaigns throughout the year, raising public awareness on retail crime.
We also provide ongoing support to retailers on signing up to the retail crime reporting system DISC
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Priority:
Drug Harm
Action taken:
We continue to engage with the community, act on intelligence and work in collaboration with drug service providers and outreach programmes to support local people.
Working in partnership with key stakeholders enables us to deter the harm being caused within our community, and patrols continue in areas where drug related activity is reported.
Neighbourhood youth Officers continue to work with local schools and colleges to raise awareness of drug harm and the risks involved.
Proactive operations involving specialist teams take place regularly to identify, arrest and disrupt persons involved in drugs possession and supply.