Agenda item

Inspector Bob Darkens, Surrey Heath Borough Commander, provided an update in respect of the Current Surrey Heath Crime and Disorder Profile and the strategy to tackle serious and organised crime.

Approximately 70 members of staff made up the total of Surrey Heath’s Neighbourhood Responders and Safer Neighbourhood Policing teams. However stretched resources meant the number of on-duty officers were regularly not as high as desired.  The Surrey Heath Policing Team covered volume crimes and incidences up to and including assaults up to Grievous Bodily Harm, low level sexual offences, safeguarding issues, mental health cases and road traffic incidents. This was in addition to resource-intensive door-to-door visits.                             

In addition to volume crimes, the Surrey Heath Policing Team were responsible for tackling Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) in the area. Although it was not always evident to the general public, SOC which took place behind closed doors was just as important and often had greater effects, than crimes which took place in the open. Serious and Organised Crime included child exploitation, drug related harm, modern slavery and people trafficking, and the exploitation of vulnerable people. It was noted the perpetrators of Serious and Organised Crime often were involved in a complex network of SOC and committing all numerous, varying serious offences.

It was emphasised that SOC could not be tackled alone and intelligence from Police Community Support Officers, and Surrey Police Partners such as Surrey County Council Adult Social Care, Housing Services, and GPs, was needed to piece together pieces of the Jigsaw. In addition Police Officers engaged with local Secondary Schools to tackle youth involvement in SOC.

Recently the Surrey Heath Policing Team had successfully imposed 13 property closures which had been used in County Line Drug Operations. Furthermore Surrey Heath was now perceived as a hostile place to deal illegal drugs, which had the effect of higher drug dealing incidences taking place in Aldershot and Farnborough.

Following Members’ questions and comments the following points were noted:

·         It was appreciated despite the Prime Minister’s pledge to recruit 20,000 new Police Officers, a job as a Police Officer was often no longer a vocation and Police Forces nationally had recruitment and retention issues. These issues were caused by the changing nature of a Police Officer’s job, the pull of the Metropolitan Police (for forces within Surrey), and lower recruitment levels from ex-military personnel.

·         Whilst Councillors’ had large amounts of casework enquiries in respect of Anti-Social behaviour (ASB) changing set-ups of various partners, and limited resources often made tackling ASB cases difficult. Youth Intervention Officers often engaged with schools to discourage ASB, but changes in SCC Children Services and to the Early Help Advisory Board had made a coordinated approach difficult.

·         The installation of CCTV on Chobham High Street would not necessarily tackle HGV Offences, and it was noted that if camera’s recorded offences there would be a need to attempt to prosecute via the Traffic Process Unit.

·         During the summer months Surrey Heath’s limited number of Police Officers has meant having to draw Officers from other Boroughs such as Woking and Waverley. However any cases picked up by visiting Officers to Surrey Heath stayed under the Surrey Heath’s force’s administration leading to higher future workloads.