Sussex Police Positive Action Community Event
February 10, 2023
BHFA were pleased to receive an invitation from PC Mohamed Rezgui of the Sussex Police Postive Action Team to attend a Postive Action Community Event at John Street Station on February 9th.
BHFA Projects Coordinator Tim Jones was in attendance, and there were representatives from the Black and Minority Ethnic Community Partnership (BMECP), the Trust For Developing Communities (TDC), Al Nour Academy, Brighton & Hove Muslim Forum and the Racial Harassment Forum.
The Positive Action team outlined their desire to forge strong community relationships which build trust between the communities of Brighton and Hove and the Police. DS Sapna Patel said the threefold aim was, 1. Increase trust & confidence in the Police 2. Promote working together & social cohesion 3. Diversify recruitment within the force.
Chief Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw opened the speeches, asserting that trustworthy policing operates on the maxim "Treat everyone as if it was your family member". We then heard from young officers from diverse backgrounds who again emphasised the need for trust ("If you lie and try to cover it, the trust goes") and courage in policing - "Being brave is doing the right thing when it’s not the popular thing to do."
The event was a great first foray into building a new era of co-operative trust between the Sussex Police force and the communities of Brighton and Hove.
