Policing in today’s world is complex, with officers tackling both visible crimes and those that remain hidden from public view.
Some of the most devastating offences – such as domestic abuse, rape, sexual assault, and child sexual exploitation – often occur behind closed doors, and we must continue to prioritise these crimes with the care, sensitivity, and focus they demand.
However, we must also ensure that our streets and communities are safe, addressing the issues that affect people’s daily lives.
Both the Chief Constable and I are committed to getting the fundamentals right – preventing crime, bringing offenders to justice swiftly, solving problems, and tackling the issues that concern residents most.
To support victims vulnerable to harm:
Surrey Police will…
- Focus on pursuing all reasonable lines of enquiry, tackling anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood crime, enhancing investigative capabilities, and increasing charge rates as part of their commitment to delivering effective policing for the community.
- Ensure that every neighbourhood has a dedicated police officer or PCSO whose contact details are published and kept up to date. They will serve as a visible and accessible presence for residents and stakeholders.
- Enhance oversight of staff abstractions and turnover within local policing teams to better understand their impact on team stability and relationships within the local community.
My office will…
- Ensure residents can easily track Surrey Police’s performance and progress against its public commitments by providing access to understandable data and clearly communicating achievements and challenges.
- Provide ongoing opportunities for residents to provide input and feedback on policing priorities and performance, fostering stronger community engagement and trust.
- Continue to work with partners to push for improvements in the wider criminal justice system, with a particular focus on reducing delays in cases getting to court.
Together we will…
- Build upon data-driven, hotspot policing, with a renewed focus on collaborative problem-solving to address community safety issues and create lasting solutions.
- Enhance promotion of tools like the Suspicious Activity Portal and other intelligence-gathering methods to encourage community engagement and improved local data.
- Work with the government to implement the broader ambitions of its ‘Community Policing Guarantee’, ensuring these align with local needs and priorities.
- Provide high-quality care and support for all victims of crime, seeking to reduce the impact of delays in the wider criminal justice system and ensuring their needs remain a priority throughout the process.