Katy Bourne was raised and schooled in Sussex before graduating from Aberystwyth University. She still lives in Sussex, is married to Kevin and has two adult sons and two step-daughters.
She was a successful business woman before entering politics having built and sold a leisure & dance company to the UK sector leader in 2005.
She still retains a keen interest in innovative business start-ups. Katy has successfully used her commercial skills to work collaboratively with 15 of the UK's top retailers, forming the Pegasus Partnership, and encouraging them to contribute £1 million to policing in order to tackle the organised retail crime gangs operating across the UK. The current government has just awarded a further £5 million funding to Pegasus following its successful results to date. Read more here: Team making strides in fight against organised retail crime
PUBLIC SERVICE
Katy is in her fourth term as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Sussex making her the longest-serving female PCC in England & Wales and one of only two to have been successfully elected four times since the role was established in 2012.
The PCC's role is to hold the Chief Constable of Sussex Police to account for the performance of the Force, effectively making the police answerable to the communities they serve.
Katy is responsible for setting the strategic direction and priorities for Sussex Police through her Police & Crime Plan. This includes setting the police budget (approx £500 million) and local police precept - the amount residents pay for policing in their council tax. Her financial responsibilities under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 cover:
- The finances of the whole Group
- Receiving all income and funding
- Making all payments for the Group from the overall Police Fund
- Control of all assets, liabilities and reserves
You can read more here: SPCC - Financials
Katy is also responsible for appointing and, if necessary, dismissing the Chief Constable of Sussex Police.
In addition, Katy has a statutory duty to commission support services for victims of crime (including stalking and sexual and domestic abuse) and to deliver community safety initiatives including restorative justice and crime reduction grants. Her annual victim's budget is approximately £2 million.
Katy brings a genuine passion and commitment to make a difference and her work to support victims of crime has won her praise from successive Home Secretaries and Prime Ministers. Katy was also nationally recognised for founding the award-winning Sussex Youth Commission in 2013 and the Sussex Elders' Commission in 2015.
Her work establishing and supporting the Sussex Restorative Justice Partnership has enabled it to achieve the highest national 'Quality Mark' recognition and to win the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) 'Finance Innovation - Best Use of Public Money' award.
You can read more about Katy's work in her Annual Report: SPCC - Annual Report
Katy is currently National Lead of the Association of Police & Crime Commissioners (APCC) portfolio for Business/Retail Crime and Chair of the Sussex Criminal Justice Board. She is also the APCC National Spokesperson for Stalking as well as for PCC Security & Safeguarding and she is a Board Director of the APCC.
Katy is a former Director of the Board of the College of Policing (2013-2018 - a Home Secretary appointment) and former advisor to the editorial board of the Guardian Public Leaders Network (2015).
She was a former Chair and Non-Exec Director of the Board of the Police Digital Service, leading the national policing Digital & Data Portfolio for 7 years. Katy was also a former Chair of the APCC.
In June 2019 she was awarded an OBE in the late Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of her 'public and political service'.
Prior to being elected as PCC in 2012, Katy was an active District Councillor at Mid Sussex District Council where she sat on the planning and scrutiny committees.
She was also a Parish Councillor serving Ansty & Staplefield parish for 5 years.
POLITICAL SERVICE
Katy was also a former National Chair of the Conservative Women's Organisation and still plays an active role in mentoring young women who are keen to enter politics.
In November 2023, Katy was appointed to the Board of the Conservative Party (pursuant to Rule 12.12 of the Constitution) and she is a member of two of the Board's sub-committees: Finance & Audit Committee and Candidates Committee.
Katy is currently Leader of the Conservative Group of Police & Crime Commissioners (2021 - present) elected by her peers on an annual basis.
VOLUNTARY SERVICE
Katy was a Governor at Oriel High School, Maidenbower, Crawley (2007 - 2016)