Photo: (Left to right): Inspector Bert Dean - Elmbridge Borough Commander, Lisa Townsend - Police and Crime Commissioner, Ellie Vesey-Thompson - Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Councillor David Lewis.
Last week, Lisa Townsend – Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey – joined residents in Cobham for a community meeting on policing, crime, and community safety.
Held in St Andrews Church, the meeting was chaired by Councillor David Lewis and also attended by Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner - Ellie Vesey-Thompson, and Elmbridge Borough Commander – Inspector Bert Dean.
At the start of the meeting, the Commissioner was asked about perceptions of police following recent issues in the news. She explained that a recent letter from the Chief Constable, as well as ongoing conversations with the force, makes clear that steps have been taken in Surrey to prevent any such issues in our county. The Commissioner also clarified that she, alongside her office, is responsible for holding the force to account on this issue. Surrey Police, alongside forces nationally is currently undergoing a data wash, an additional form of vetting checks, against all service officers and staff including the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner.
Also raised was concern around protests on the M25 and the impact this has on the community. The Commissioner thanked Surrey Police for their excellent response to recent protests which dealt with protesters in a swift and professional manner. She explained that these protests are already illegal so there is no need for additional powers for police to manage them. However, she also expressed frustration with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) due to a lack of charging for offences which has caused protestors to be released, enabling repeat behaviour over following days.
Residents raised concern with growing disaffection towards the police from the public, many of whom want a return to core policing and less time spent at Pride events and on other equality projects. The Commissioner agreed that a return to basics is needed and explained that incoming Chief Tim De Meyer was selected because he was the candidate who convinced her that he would do this.
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) was also raised by residents, and the Commissioner confirmed that the government is seeking to introduce new legislation to better enable police to tackle this in local communities. All Surrey residents are encouraged to take part in the Commissioner’s ASB survey which is currently being run in partnership with charity ASB Help and can be found here.
Residents asked for increased patrols and officers to help tackle ASB. The Commissioner explained that Surrey has had an additional 333 officers since 2019, with officer numbers now higher than ever in Surrey Police (or former Surrey Constabulary)’s history.
She went on to explain that the challenge is the level of non-crime demand that policing has to manage, including mental health incidents. New national changes and a focus on the “Right Care, Right Person” approach will mean other partners will have to step up in areas where police have currently been filling the gaps. This will free up police time to focus on tackling and solving crime.
Inspector Dean urged residents to report all incidents of ASB to police. This helps identify patterns and hotspots, providing data to support deployment and resourcing decisions as well as patrol locations. The same is true for speeding – another issue raised on the night – where concerns are raised by residents about a particular road, police can look at this and consider the options available.
The Commissioner was also asked about programmes in schools for children and young people about the police and community safety. The Deputy Commissioner explained that a new “Safer Communities” programme has just been rolled out across the county by Surrey County Council and partners working alongside the Healthy Schools approach. This programme features 6 sessions spread across pupils’ PSHE lessons covering a range of safety scenarios, including emergencies, with each session requiring a student to be a responsible community member
The Deputy Commissioner also outlined Surrey Police’s approach to school engagement, which is manged by dedicated Youth Engagement Officers in every District and Borough. This approach has recently changed from delivering one off assemblies on specific issues, to less formal engagement during break and lunch times. This helps young people engage more directly with local officers and build positive relationships.
A new Youth Commission has also been established by the Deputy Commissioner, which is open to young people across the county. The aim, she explained, is to put young people’s voices back at the heart of policing, and despite only having met a couple of times, they have already shared brilliant ideas. They will be delivering their findings, aims and successes with partners in the early summer. The Deputy Commissioner highlighted that recruitment is ongoing and young people interested in joining can apply here.
Other concerns raised at the meeting included burglaries, sharing of information with the public, and cross-border work with other forces including the British Transport Police.
The recent hit and run incident involving a horse and rider was also raised, and Inspector Dean and a rural crime officer spoke with individuals after the meeting due to the personal and specific nature.
In closing the meeting, the Commissioner explained that Surrey is a safe place to live, the 4th safest county in the country, safest in the South East region, and the safest county out of all those that border the Metropolitan Police area. She praised the force for their outstanding record of prevention and said the challenge for the new Chief will be to maintain that prevention success whilst also improving performance where necessary – including burglary rates and car theft.
Speaking after the meeting, the Commissioner said “It was brilliant to join residents of Cobham to hear directly from them about their crime and community safety concerns.
“As a former Cobham resident, I know that it is a lovely place to live and work, but that there is always room for improvement. I am confident that our incoming Chief Constable, Tim De Meyer, is committed to making the changes to our police force that will help tackle many of the concerns raised by the Cobham community.
I am also pleased the government is properly recognising the impact that anti-social behaviour has on residents and communities – it is an issue raised with me across the county - and look forward to new legislation to help police and partners tackle this more effectively.”
Share your thoughts on anti-social behaviour in your community by completing the Commissioner and ASB Help’s survey here.
