District Dispatch - 8 November 2023

Remembrance Sunday is a national opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those what have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.

On Sunday 12 November, we will remember the Armed Forces and their families, from Britain and the Commonwealth, the vital role played by the emergency services, and those who have lost their lives as a result of conflict or terrorism. You may be surprised to know that six per cent of the population of our district are veterans. Our area is also home to the only military base in West Sussex, which is located in Southbourne.

Every year, civic dignitaries, ex-service groups, serving armed forces personnel, the emergency services and other community groups march from the City Council offices to the war memorial in Litten Gardens to mark this important day. The event is organised by Chichester City Council, but councillors from all three councils attend. This is one of many events taking place across the district. I will be attending a Remembrance Day service in my role as the military champion for the Chichester District. Please show your support if you can. I'm also proud to say that we have recently been awarded a prestigious employer recognition scheme bronze award from the Ministry of Defence. This recognises our commitment to supporting serving and retired armed forces personnel.

In other news, I am pleased to let you know that we are upgrading the CCTV cameras in Chichester city centre to a wireless system. As part of this project, we are also purchasing some re-deployable cameras, which can be moved around the district easily if a 'hot spot' area is identified. CCTV is a crucial part of our work to help make residents, visitors and workers feel safe. The new wireless system will provide us and the police with better quality images and will be more accessible to the partners who use the service. The re-deployable cameras will also give us the flexibility we need to respond to any hot spot areas should they arise. Work on the upgrade will be completed by next April and the cameras will continue to be monitored by Sussex Police. A total of 27 cameras will be in operation across the city centre and more outlying areas of the district.

Helping people to feel and keep safe is a priority for us - and it is something that we are constantly working on with our partners. One such example is Operation Petra. This is a multi-agency operation to tackle anti-social behaviour along the rail network through the Chichester District, involving the British Transport Police, Sussex Police, Network Rail, Southern Rail and our council.

These operations take place at various times throughout the year to support station managers and take action against those who may be causing trouble or trying to jump the barriers without tickets. Making sure that residents and visitors feel safe travelling in and out of the district is vital. This is why joint action days such as these are so important.

If you live in Chichester East and Whyke; Chichester West; Tangmere and Oving; Selsey; or The Witterings, you will also see our Community Wardens operating in your area. As well as working closely with the police, they also help deal with environmental issues and get involved with community development work. They also carry out checks on older people in their communities, or those who may be vulnerable. Collectively, they operate seven days a week on a shift pattern. If you live in one of the areas mentioned and want to contact your community warden, you can find all of their contact details on the Chichester District Community Wardens page. They are a fantastic bunch of people who are making a huge difference within our communities. If you see them around, please say hello.

Best Wishes

Cllr Tracie Bangert

Cabinet Member for Communities and Wellbeing at Chichester District Council