Category: Funding

More PCC funding to tackle burglaries and catalytic converter thefts in Surrey

Posted on | by Surrey PCC

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey David Munro has provided additional funding to help Surrey Police prevent burglaries and catalytic converter thefts.

£14,000 from the PCC’s Community Safety Fund has been provided to enable local Surrey Police teams to develop targeted operations with the new Surrey Police Prevention and Problem Solving Team across six boroughs.

An additional £13,000 has been allocated to the Serious and Organised Crime Unit to work with the team to tackle a steep rise in catalytic converter thefts from vehicles in the county.

The problem solving team was paid for by the PCC’s increase to the policing element of local council tax in 2019-2020, alongside more police officers and staff in Surrey’s communities.

The county saw the fourth largest increase in catalytic converter thefts in the country in 2020, rising to over 1,100 incidents since April. Surrey Police records an average of eight domestic burglaries a day.

Working closely with the Prevention and Problem Solving Team enables officers to identify new trends and inform a bespoke approach based on the analysis of multiple incidents.

This involves a new way of thinking about crime prevention that is data led, and leads to a longer term reduction in crime.

Embedding a problem solving approach in the planning of operations saves time and money later on; with fewer but more targeted actions.

Analysis for new operations to prevent burglaries included actions such as reviewing every single crime committed in a target area in winter 2019.

Responses informed by the team and funded by the PCC include increased patrols and deterrents in specific locations where it is believed they will have the most impact. The distribution of catalytic converter marking kits and greater awareness of this crime will be carried out by local police.

PCC David Munro said: “Burglary is a devastating crime that has a long lasting impact on individuals, and is one of the main concerns expressed by local residents. Catalytic converter thefts have also increased in recent months.

“I know from our recent community events that this is a key concern of residents.

“As the problem solving team heads into its second year, I’m continuing to increase the resources available to Surrey Police to build on the improvements being made. This includes more analysts and investigators to lead problem solving across the Force, and more police officers in local teams to drive crime down.”

Chief Inspector and Prevention and Problem Solving Lead Mark Offord said: “Surrey Police are fully committed to ensuring that our residents feel safe in their communities. We understand that the harm caused to victims of burglary goes far beyond the material loss of property, and can have far-reaching financial and emotional consequences.

“As well as proactively targeting the individuals committing these offences, our problem solving approach seeks to understand how and why crimes are committed, with the intention of employing crime prevention techniques that will make offending a riskier prospect for potential offenders.”

Individual operations funded by the PCC will form part of Force’s dedicated response to burglary county-wide.

“A step in the right direction for Surrey residents” – PCC’s verdict on potential location for the county’s first transit site

Posted on | by Surrey PCC

The Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro has said news that a potential transit site has been identified to direct travellers to in Surrey is a ‘step in the right direction’ for the county’s residents.

An area of Surrey County Council managed land in Tandridge has been earmarked as the first site in the county that could provide a temporary stopping place which could be used by the travelling community.

The PCC has long been pressing for such a site with proper facilities which have proved successful in other areas of the country. Following continued collaboration involving all borough and district councils and the county council, a location has now been identified although no planning application has been submitted. The PCC has committed £100,000 from his office to help set the transit site up.

The Commissioner said he is also eagerly awaiting the results of a government consultation after reports that the Home Office are planning to change the law to make setting up unauthorised encampments a criminal offence.

The PCC responded to the consultation last year saying he supported the criminalising the act of trespass in relation to encampments which would give police tougher and more effective powers to deal with them when they appear.

PCC David Munro said: “During my term of office I have long been saying that there is an urgent need for transit sites for travellers in Surrey so I am pleased there is hopefully some good news on the horizon with a potential location identified in the Tandridge area.

“A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes involving all local agencies to address the need for transit sites. There is obviously still a long way to go and any site will have to go through the relevant planning processes but it is a step in the right direction for Surrey residents.

“We are approaching the time of year when the county begins to see an increase in unauthorised encampments and we have already seen a few in Surrey over recent weeks.

“The majority of travellers are law-abiding but I’m afraid there are a minority that cause disruption and concern to local communities and increase the strain on police and local authority resources.

“I have visited a number of communities where unauthorised encampments have been set up over the last four years and I have great sympathy with the plight of the residents whom I’ve met whose lives have been adversely affected.”

The legislation around unauthorised encampments is complex and there are requirements that must be met in order for local authorities and police to take action to move them on.

The act of trespass in relation to encampments currently remains a civil matter. When an unauthorised encampment is set up in Surrey, the occupiers are often served with orders by the police or local authority and then move on to another location nearby where the process begins again.

The PCC added: “There have been reports that the government will be seeking a change in law to make trespass in relation to unauthorised encampments a criminal offence. I would fully support this and submitted in my response to the government consultation that the legislation should be as simple and comprehensive as possible.

“I believe this change in law, coupled with the introduction of transit sites, is urgently needed to break the cycle of repeated unauthorised traveller encampments that continue to affect our local communities.”

Fearless for three more years! – PCC extends funding for Crimestoppers youth service in Surrey

Posted on | by Surrey PCC

The independent charity Crimestoppers youth service ‘Fearless.org’ will continue in Surrey for at least another three years after Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro agreed to extend the funding for its dedicated outreach worker.

Fearless.org offers young people non-judgemental advice so they can make informed decisions about reporting crime and allows them to give information 100% anonymously, using a secure form on the charity’s website.

The Fearless outreach worker Emily Drew actively engages with young people across Surrey and provides education about the consequences of their choices around crime.

That message is reinforced through campaigns that encourage safe and anonymous reporting of issues such as knife and drug crime and those involved with County Lines – including speaking up about those who regularly carry weapons.

Since its launch in Surrey in 2018, Emily has spoken to over 7,000 local young people and provided training for over 1,000 professionals including GPs, social workers and teachers.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been carrying out online Fearless.org education sessions, which have been attended by more than 500 people from across the county.

There has also been a big focus on reaching young people through social media with a recent campaign focused on spotting the warning signs of exploitation from drug gangs.

PCC David Munro has agreed to continue funding Emily’s Fearless role through a grant from his Community Safety Fund, which helps projects large and small improve community safety across the county.

He said: “For our young people in particular, the last year has been an extremely testing period with disruption to their schooling and exams at such an important stage in their lives.

“Sadly there will be criminals trying to exploit the situation and target our young people during these uncertain times.”

“Violent crime and the threats posed by ‘County Lines’ gangs recruiting teenagers to become part of their drug supply operation, are very real issues that police here in Surrey are tackling right now.

“The role Emily is doing through Fearless is invaluable in helping empower our young people to make their communities safer, which is why I was delighted to extend the funding so she can continue the important work she is doing across the county over the next three years.”

Surrey’s Fearless Outreach Worker Emily Drew, said: “Since launching Fearless.org in Surrey two years ago, we have been reaching out to thousands of young people and professionals across the county to spread the Fearless message.

“The response has been amazing but we want to go even further so I’m delighted this funding will enable us to continue the work we’ve started over the next three years.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has presented us with a number of challenges but now that children are back in school, we will be looking to provide more of those inputs direct into the classroom. If any schools or organisations in Surrey would like a free session, then please get in touch!”

Chair of Surrey Crimestoppers Lynne Hack, said: “Young people can often understandably be very reluctant to report crime, so the education Fearless can provide to them is really critical to us, particularly during these difficult times.

“Emily as a youth worker is completely non-judgemental and can spread the message that young people can speak up about crime to us with the 100% guarantee that it will be completely anonymous and no one will know they have contacted us.”

If your organisation works with young children and you would like to arrange a Fearless training session, or you want to learn more about the work that Emily is doing in Surrey – please visit www.fearless.org/campaigns/fearless-surrey