Senior policing and county council leaders in Surrey have signed the first ever concordat which pledges to ensure the two organisations work closer together for the benefit of the county’s residents.
The Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro, Chief Constable of Surrey Police Gavin Stephens and Surrey County Council Leader Tim Oliver put pen to paper on the declaration when they recently met at County Hall in Kingston-upon-Thames.
The concordat details a number of general principles which outline how the two organisations will work together for the best interests of the Surrey public and make the county a safer place.
This includes the safeguarding of adults and children in our communities, addressing common factors that bring people into contact with the criminal justice system and the co-commissioning of services to reduce reoffending and support those affected by crime.
It also gives a joint commitment to improving road safety in the county, seeking out future opportunities for emergency service and council collaboration and adopting a shared approach to problem-solving.
To view the concordat in full – click here
PCC David Munro said: “Our police and county council services in Surrey enjoy a really close relationship and I think this concordat signals our joint intent to develop that partnership even further. I’m delighted this blueprint has now been agreed which means we can better address some of those difficult issues both organisations face which can only be good news for the county’s residents.”
Surrey County Council Leader Tim Oliver said: “Surrey County Council and Surrey Police already work closely together, but this agreement to make that partnership more effective is a welcome one. No single organisation can fix all the issues communities face, so by working together better we can try to prevent issues in the first place, and improve safety for all our residents.”
Chief Constable of Surrey Police Gavin Stephens said: “Both organisations are substantially funded by our communities in Surrey, and it is our role to ensure that where we can work together to resolve problems we do so as effectively and as efficiently as we can. This concordat gives local residents the opportunity to see the issues we believe we can tackle jointly.”