Eastbourne's Night Safety Marshals Reflect On First Seven Months

At the beginning of this year, a new team launched in Eastbourne working alongside police and partners to help keep people safe at night.

Come rain or shine, since their launch the Night Safety Marshals have already supported over 135 vulnerable women and over 60 vulnerable men - helping to reunite them with friends and family, contact the police or assist them in getting home safely, as well as responding to and helping with around 30 medical incidents.

The team have also highlighted and resolved more than 30 incidents of public disorder, which, police say, has lowered the levels of crime linked to the night-time economy in the town centre over the weekend.

The team launched in January of 2024 with the aim of providing an additional visible presence in the town and to help in the early identification and dispersal of emerging risks.

From 8pm to 4am on Friday and Saturday nights, the marshals patrol areas of Eastbourne town centre, visiting night-time venues, and supporting members of the community while they are out in the town.

Teams will also provide support to police and key partners such as Street Pastors, Security Industry Authority (SIA) door staff at licensed premises, and members of the Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP).

From their first introduction in Brighton and Hove, teams of Night Safety Marshals can now be found across Sussex; extra eyes and ears helping to keep the communities of our county safe.

Inspector Sarah Taylor, from the Eastbourne’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said:

"We continue to extend our thanks the team of Night Safety Marshals for their support in helping to protect our community from violence and crime, particularly during the night-time economy and over the weekends.

"Everybody has the right to enjoy a night out and Eastbourne is, and will continue to be, a safe place to do this.

"We already have a range of measures in place to support this work, including dedicated cars, targeted patrols, and close partnership working with licensed premises to promote other safety schemes in the town. 

"The Night Safety Marshals have been a very welcome addition to our town centre in the last seven months and will further support our work to protect vulnerable people and catch offenders as we head into the summer.”

"If you or someone you know is a victim of crime or need assistance on a night out, speak to a police officer, bar staff, Night Safety Marshal, or call 999 in an emergency."