Working with Surrey communities so that they feel safe

My commitment is to make certain that every resident feels secure within their local community. To achieve this goal, I believe in collaborating and taking early measures to address the common factors that result in individuals coming into contact with the police and the criminal justice system. This approach will aid in decreasing crime rates, anti-social behaviour and will have a positive impact on victim outcomes.

Key progress during 2023/24: 

• Record-setting emergency and non-emergency answering times: In March I was delighted to report a significant improvement in Surrey Police’s responsiveness to 101 and 999 calls. This year, we have witnessed a record-setting enhancement in how quickly our contact centre staff answers both emergency and non-emergency calls. At the time of writing this report, the latest figures from February highlight that 97.8% of 999 calls were answered within the national target of 10 seconds. Similarly, the average response time for the non-emergency 101 number has decreased dramatically to just 36 seconds. Following recognition that there had been a decline in performance in early 2023, we have implemented strategic measures to enhance our service delivery. I have personally spent time with our call handlers in the Contact Centre, witnessing first-hand their commitment and the challenges they face. Their phenomenal work, despite previous staff shortages, has been crucial in turning around our call response times. I am confident that with the current measures in place to address both recruitment and retention, we will continue to provide efficient and reliable service to our residents. I continue to have regular meetings with the Contact Centre managers and will also continue to ensure the public have access to the latest 999 and 101 answering time performance data, to provide assurance that we are firmly gripping this issue.
• Launch of the first-ever Surrey Youth Commission: During 2023/24, my office established the Surrey Youth Commission on Policing and Crime, in partnership with charity Leaders Unlocked. The overarching aim of the initiative is to amplify the voices of young people in Surrey to help shape the future of policing. Made up of young people aged between 14-25yrs old, it plays a key role in ensuring our office and Surrey Police include the priorities of children and young people in policing. The Youth Commission hold meetings and consult widely with children and young people across Surrey and in July, they presented their findings to staff and stakeholders during the first ‘BIG Conversation Conference‘, producing a report that contained their recommendations. The report focused heavily on substance misuse and exploitation, violence against women and girls, cybercrime, mental health and relationships with the police, and sets out a series of recommendations for both my office and the police on how to better support young people. The full report can be found on our website: surrey-pcc.gov.uk/funding/surrey-youth-commission/
• Working with local businesses to tackle shoplifting: Like many, I have been deeply troubled by reports of violence and abuse against retail employees, a problem exacerbated by a nation-wide surge in organised shoplifting. I have visited retailers in Oxted, Dorking, and Ewell to hear first-hand how their businesses and staff are being affected and how we can better support them. Shoplifting is mistakenly seen by some as a victimless crime, but this is far from the truth. The impact on businesses, their employees and communities is profound and distressing. Retail workers, who were pivotal during the Covid pandemic, deserve our utmost support and protection. It is unacceptable that they face such risks simply for performing their duties. This abuse is not just appalling – it’s an attack on the values we strive to uphold in our community. As your Police and Crime Commissioner, I am dedicated to addressing these issues directly with our police force. We are committed to implementing strategies that not only focus on reducing shoplifting but also on dismantling the organised crime networks behind it. A national specialist police team is being formed to tackle shoplifting as a high-harm, cross-border crime. I urge all retailers to continue reporting incidents to ensure that policing resources are directed where they are most needed. We must work together to ensure our communities are safe and that retail crime does not go unchecked.
  

Explore further data concerning Surrey Police progress against this priority.

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