News and Updates for Hastings

We’re supporting Stop Loan Sharks Week 2025.

Stop Loan Sharks is an organisation who is there to provide support to anyone who has contact with a loan shark and may need some advice or support.

They do not judge and there is no pressure, only real people who are ready to listen and help – day or night.

If you or someone you know would benefit from speaking to Stop Loan Sharks, call them on 0300 555 2222. You can find out more on their website Home - Stop Loan Sharks
 

🚨 False Fire Alarms: The Real Consequences 🚨

We want to remind everyone that setting off false fire alarms is no prank—it’s a serious act with real consequences. This type of incident causes significant disruption and harm to the community, including:

🔹 Delays in responding to genuine emergencies, risking lives when every second counts 

🔹 Emergency services wasting valuable resources, putting a financial strain on public funds 

🔹 Stress and confusion for the public, especially children forced to evacuate unexpectedly 

🔹 The danger of desensitisation—frequent false alarms make people doubt real emergencies

🔹 Businesses forced to evacuate, leading to lost revenue and productivity

Our emergency services are here to protect and serve. Let’s ensure they’re available when truly needed. False alarms aren’t harmless—they put lives at risk.

Meet Your Local Neighbourhood Officer

📅 Saturday, 31st May 2025 

⏰ 5:00 PM –7:00 PM 

📍 St. John the Evangelist Church, Pevensey Road, St Leonards

Join us, for a dedicated community meeting for Gensing and Central Ward. 

If you live or work in, Gensing and Central Ward, it would be good to meet you, where we will get the opportunity to discuss and share your concerns, discuss local issues, and help shape the way resources are allocated to best support the community. Your voice matters, and together, we can make a difference.

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Two Arrested Following Drug-Related Incident in Hastings

Following a report of suspected drug dealing from a vehicle, local PCSOs identified the vehicle on Magdalen Road. When the vehicle stopped, both the driver and passenger were spoken to.

Police Officers were called to the scene, and both individuals were searched. A quantity of drugs was located, and as a result, both men were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.

We remain committed to tackling drug-related crime and keeping our communities safe. If you have any concerns or information, please report it to us via 101 or online.

In recent weeks, aiming to raise awareness, build resilience, and share vital information to help keep students and their friends safe, we’ve spent time with Year 9 at St Leonards Academy during Personal Development lessons, discussing knives, knife crime, and County Lines issues.

We covered the consequences and laws around knives and offensive weapons, including what counts as reasonable excuse and lawful authority. This included some lively, well-received role play. We also explored why someone might carry a knife and their motivations.

On County Lines, we looked at how criminal gangs groom and exploit vulnerable young people and adults, such as through ‘cuckooing’, using violence, coercion, and false narratives to glamourise such activity. We talked about the serious risks for young people involved, how ruthless gangs can be, and the wider impact on parents, families, and the community.

All ten Year 9 forms took part enthusiastically, joining in class discussions, asking thoughtful ‘What if?’ questions, and were a real credit to the Academy.

On Wednesday 21st May, PC Donaldson and PCSO French were invited into Silverdale Primary School to speak with the Year 6 pupils.

We like to visit before they move on to secondary school and have a conversation about online safety. The Year 6s were well informed about keeping themselves safe online, although there were a few worried faces when the officers pointed out that you have to be a teenager to use social media!

Our top tips for Year 6 were:

The young people had plenty of good questions, and the officer’s offered advice on how to change privacy settings on various apps.

*Parents and carers, this applies to you too. The children were told they can use this as an excuse to avoid the September “first day of school” doorstep photos!

Meet our future recruit Luca!

On Saturday whilst on patrol, Luca and his parents approached officers in Wellington Place, Hastings. Officers asked if Luca wanted to have a look in the van and sit in the drivers side, to which Luca jumped at the chance. 

Luca was very safety conscious, encouraging officers to put their seat belt on before pretending to drive away. 

We look forward to welcoming Luca as a Police officer in 2041. It was great to meet you!

Help us keep Sussex safe

If you saw or heard anything, or have any information about any incident in this message please contact us online, or call 101, quoting the reference number provided.

Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

You can also visit our website at www.sussex.police.uk where you can find our easy to use online forms to report all non-emergencies to us.

On our website you can also find police advice to keep you safe and help you understand the law, and also browse our crime prevention pages for first-hand knowledge, industry best practices and practical crime prevention advice from officers and specialist teams all across the police.

Have you ever had a policing question that doesn't actually require direct police involvement to answer?

Ask the Police is a great online source of information for the most frequently asked policing questions, visit www.askthe.police.uk/ for more information.

Your local teams

What's happening in your area?

Get the latest crime statistics and advice, help us with appeals for information and find out what we’re doing to tackle crime in your area online here.