Sussex Police are seeking more volunteers from the community to help officers gain a better understanding of issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people across Sussex.
A group of people from across the county, including councils, LGBT charities and support groups and also independent members of the public, already exists, but police would like the group to become even more representative.
Superintendent Laurence Taylor said: “External groups like this are important to us. They can help inform and shape the way we work as an organisation and enable us gain a greater insight on issues that affect our communities. We continuously work to give the highest quality service to the public and we particularly value input from the LGBT External Reference Group.”
“It is Force priority to increase the reporting of Hate Crime. To try and gain a better understanding of why people might not feel comfortable with reporting this type of incident to us, we recently worked with the group to put together a survey on LGBT Hate Crime. From this feedback we have gained a better understanding of why somebody might not report such crimes, and, if they did, how we might improve their experience of reporting.”
Sussex Police have put together an action plan to make sure that the force provides the best possible service to the LGBT community.
If you are interested in contributing to the work of the group, contact the Sussex Police Diversity Team on 101 extension 540584
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