Police and Crime Commissioner visits Bognor Regis to see impact of Safer Streets 4 Funding

During the visit, Mrs Bourne met with Bognor Regis BID (Business Improvement District) manager Heather Allen, as well as newly-funded community warden Johnny Cavie.

The seven days a week community warden post has been paid for by SS4 funding secured by Mrs Bourne, which lasted until the end of August. Thanks to a positive reception from local residents and business owners, Bognor Regis Town Council has agreed to continue the funding until March next year.

A spokesperson for Mrs Bourne says the community warden has provided reassurance and support to businesses in anti-social behaviour hotspots throughout Bognor Regis. They added that Mr Cavie has built up strong relationships with local businesses, working closely with the team of four town centre community police officers to deter potential vandals, such as when he recently caught a prolific graffiti artist in the act and identified him to the police, leading to an arrest.

BID Manager Heather Allen said: “The provision of a seven day a week community warden has been exceptionally helpful in both supporting businesses and providing a visible deterrent.”

Sergeant Tom Fenner's team has also benefitted from SS4 funding, with £30,000 made available to pay for additional patrols by police officers and PCSOs within the town centre and Hotham Park. The additional funding also pays for work on rest days to ensure the town benefits from increased police visibility, and residents have responded positively to the uptake in patrols.

Discussing her visit, Mrs Bourne said: “I am pleased to see that the Safer Streets funding is helping to improve residents’ feelings of safety in Bognor Regis. Today I have been reassured that both the Force and the Community Warden are making strong strides in tackling ASB, providing a visible presence throughout the town and seeing numbers of reports fall.

“It was brilliant to see such a positive reaction to both Sgt Fenner and Mr Cavie as we visited various locations across the town – the public know their faces, are seeing real changes and feel comfortable approaching the teams should they have any issues.