Recruitment of Independent Members

The OPCC successfully recruited a number of new Independent Members to sit on Police Gross Misconduct Panels.

Panels are convened when police officers or staff are accused of breaching the Standards of Professional Behaviour and can lead to dismissal from their force. Independent Members usually sit on three or four panels a year. They commit to a four-year term, with the possibility of a further extension. The role requires police vetting.

More information: https://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/commissioner-opens-recruitment-for-independent-members/

Policing your Community’ roadshows

The ‘Policing Your Community’ events are taking place from 24 October 2023 to 29 January 2024 and offer residents the opportunity to put their questions about local policing to the PCC, Chief Constable Tim De Meyer and the Inspector responsible for the local policing where they live.

The events throughout this winter will also take place ahead of the Commissioner’s planned consultation on the amount that residents will contribute towards policing from next year’s council tax, giving residents a chance to learn more about how their money is used both visibly – and behind the scenes – to boost crime fighting across Surrey.

More information: https://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/have-your-say-as-policing-your-community-roadshow-returns/

Commissioner’s team ‘Hike the Hill’ to raise money for key service supporting young homeless people

A team from the OPCC took part in charity hike to the highest point in Surrey to raise money for a key service supporting homeless young people. Staff, including the Deputy Commissioner, joined organisers and young people from the Amber Foundation in completing the 10km route at Leith Hill near Dorking.

They support young people aged from 17 to 30 by providing a shared home with a community of around 30 others. Staff there deliver a programme of training and activities based around accommodation, employment and health and wellbeing. The OPCC provides funding for three beds at their centre near Ockley through its dedicated Reducing Reoffending Fund and the aim of the hike was to raise money to help towards paying for another bed space.

More information: https://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/commissioners-team-hike-the-hill-to-raise-money-for-key-service-supporting-young-homeless-people/

Community Surgeries

As part of the Commissioner's commitment to enhance the voice of local people in policing the office has established a regular schedule of public surgeries. Held on the first Friday of every month, these one-to-one meetings provide a valuable opportunity for the Commissioner to hear feedback from residents.

999 Response Times

Data released by the Home Office for all forces in the UK shows that, between 1 November 2021 to 30 April 2022, Surrey Police were one of the top ten performing forces for answering 999 calls, with 82% of calls answered within 10 seconds.

Active Communities Project

To strengthen our relationship with all segments of the community, the Commissioner's office has been working with the Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum (SMEF) to deliver the Active Communities Project. Through a series of 'People Assembly' meetings across the County, diverse communities are brought together to find solutions to common issues they are experiencing and to provide feedback to both my office and Surrey Police. The project also addresses topics that hold social stigma in some communities, including Domestic Abuse, Honour based Violence, Forced Marriage, Female Circumcision and Mental illness. Through the project we create safe space for communities to reflect on the scale of these problems and, if required, seek help.

Public Scrutiny

The Commissioner's Office now run regular Performance and Accountability meetings live on Facebook, providing an opportunity for residents to hear directly from the Chief Constable on the latest performance data, understand key operational issues and to ask their own questions. These meetings are complemented by Resource and Efficiency meetings the Commissioner holds with Surrey Police, providing an opportunity to dig deeper into specific performance concerns.