Councillors agree new strategy for community safety and crime reduction

At the Full Council meeting on Thursday 26 March, councillors agreed a new 3-year strategy that aims to help tackle community safety and crime reduction in Brighton & Hove.

The new Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy has been informed by a strategic assessment. We held a stakeholder event in November 2025 to discuss the strategic assessment findings and how the strategy should progress over the next 3 years. 

Following this, a public consultation was open from Monday 1 December 2025 to Friday 23 January 2026. We received 147 responses from residents, community groups, partners and businesses – a 79% increase compared to the consultation for the previous strategy in 2023. 

This feedback has been incorporated into the final version of the Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy 2026 to 2029.  

Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy

The strategy sets the focus for Brighton & Hove’s Community Safety Partnership, which includes representatives from the council, Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue, the NHS, the local probation service and voluntary and community organisations.   

The Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy is updated every 3 years to guide how the partnership works together to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in Brighton & Hove and make the city safer for everyone. 

The 3-year strategy will cover the period from April 2026 to March 2029 and has been developed in collaboration with the Community Safety Partnership. 

The strategy outlines a number of priority areas, such as: 

  • Serious violence, drugs and exploitation
  • Domestic abuse, sexual violence and violence against women and girls
  • Anti-social behaviour
  • Hate incidents and crimes
  • Prevent

Valuable feedback 

Councillor Andrei Czolak, Cabinet advisor for Community Safety, said: “I’d like to thank everyone that shared valuable feedback on our Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy for 2026 to 2029. 

“This is a vital piece of work that has been developed collaboratively with the Community Safety Partnership and shapes how we all work together to make Brighton & Hove a safer place for residents, visitors, communities and businesses alike.

“I’m really excited to progress this work with our partners, building on the achievements of the previous strategy to reduce crime, support victims and strengthen community cohesion in the city.”

Consultation responses

The consultation received responses from a range of residents, community groups, partners and businesses. Respondents broadly agreed with the overall aims and plans across each priority area, but concerns were raised about implementation and resourcing.

People shared that they want more visible policing enforcement, increased police responsiveness, and better ways to report crime and anti-social behaviour.

Many respondents made strong calls to address the root causes of crime and anti-social behaviour by investing in poverty reduction, youth provision, housing and homelessness support and mental health and substance-misuse services. 

The Israel/Palestine conflict also shaped feedback, with both Jewish and Palestinian communities expressing fear; confusion and disagreement about what constitutes hate crime; and concerns about protest rights, safety and approaches to policing. 

Related news