It now takes an average of eight minutes for a call to the police 101 non-emergency number to be answered.

Speaking after her Performance and Accountability Meeting with the Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) Jo Shiner, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “I was pleased to hear that waiting times for the 101 non-emergency number have reduced to an average of eight minutes with an accompanying decrease in people abandoning their calls.

“There is already an increase in the number of contact handlers, with more soon to be recruited to further improve the service to the public.”

Ms Bourne says the reduction in waiting times can be attributed partly to the new “Queue Buster” technology which is being trialled at the contact centre and is already showing positive results. She says it enables callers at peak times to request a call back, after a maximum wait of four minutes.

“I also raised the issue of anti social behaviour (ASB), citing the fact that many residents tell me they’re concerned at the amount of this kind of behaviour in their area. DCC Jo Shiner confirmed that ASB is a continued priority for the police: “We never under-estimate the impact of anti social behaviour and recognise the misery it can bring to individuals and communities,” says Ms Bourne.

DCC Shiner highlighted how different solutions work well in communities across Sussex – involving a range of partnerships – and how rising numbers of Police Community Support Officers will become a visible deterrent.

DCC Shiber also praised Ms Bourne’s REBOOT scheme which has seen more than 200 young people in Sussex steered away from involvement in crime.