Priority for Sussex Police is protection of the NHS and the capacity it has says Chief Constable Giles York.

In a video published this morning Mr York assures people that if they are at home and they feel in danger they should call the police: “…we are here to help you still.

“Our policing services are still delivering safety for you whenever you need them,” he says.

Sussex Police is working with its partners in a joint effort to help tackle the coronavirus crisis.

Mr York explains: “We are all in this together and I know that Sussex communities are responding well. We are still delivering policing services and are here to help you. The best help you can give us is changing your behaviour. Please follow government advice, stay at home and don’t gather in large groups.

“My officers will come and engage with you if we see you are posing a danger to each other. We will explain why it’s important to behave differently and only if absolutely necessary will we enforce the law to ensure that you disburse. Please support everything the public services are doing at the moment.”

Sussex Police says its priority is to make sure the most vulnerable are kept safe.

Sussex Police says it recognises that the sad reality is that there will always be people ready to take advantage of a situation: “We are seeing an increase in fraudsters and scammers,” they say and have issued advice on protecting yourself, 

‘We need you to follow the advice to stay home…’

“If you think you have been a victim you can report to Action Fraud. Please report any suspicious activity to us on 101 or online and 999 in an emergency,” they say.

“Follow Government advice to stay at home and help the national effort. We urge you not to call 101 with general coronavirus enquiries, but look at the Government website for information. Please keep our 101 and 999 lines free for people with genuine policing needs.

“We have sufficient police resources, policing continues and we are able to maintain services, albeit with a different approach. We need you to follow the advice to stay home, so that our officers and staff can continue come to work in sufficient numbers to maintain the service that you expect.

“Community matters, now more than ever. Stay safe and keep your loved ones safe. Together we can make a difference and save lives,” says Mr York.