Officers attended Church Road on Thursday (February 24) at around 11.20am following calls from concerned members of the public. A 16-year-old boy from Portslade was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possessing a knife in a public place and has been released under investigation while enquiries continue. The teenager was detained by officers from Brighton and Hove’s Neighbourhood Policing Team working as part of Operation Safety – Sussex Police’s dedicated operation aimed at education and enforcement around knife crime. Sergeant Alec Barrett said: “I would like to thank the members of the public who reported this incident and I commend the officers for their prompt response in getting this individual into custody. “Acting proactively in terms of enforcement and education is a key element of Operation Safety – engaging with young people to tackle the underlying issues around knife crime and catching perpetrators. “We will continue to work round the clock to keep the streets of Brighton and Hove safe. As ever, the public remain our eyes and ears so please do report any issues or concerns to us via the Sussex Police website, 101 or by calling 999 in an emergency.”
