Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend has issued the following statement regarding the investigation into an incident in Staines-on-Thames in June this year where a cow was injured by a Surrey Police car.
Lisa said: “I fully appreciate the concern and distress this incident caused within the local community and the wider public.
“That is why it was important this matter was thoroughly investigated to see if there were any potential criminal or misconduct matters to answer. This included reviewing all available evidence and seeking the opinions of independent animal welfare experts.
“I have been kept informed by senior officers of the progress of this investigation and I am satisfied that this process has been exhaustive and dilligent. I am pleased to hear that the cow involved in this incident, Beau Lucy, has been recovering at her farm.
“Our police officers do a difficult job and are often faced with making decisions in very challenging circumstances. The safety of the public is always the single most important factor they have to consider.
“What this investigation has done is highlight a number of issues that not only Surrey Police, but policing nationally, has to consider when dealing with a loose livestock incident.
“I am reassured to hear that the Force have now made changes to their protocol around this, including ensuring that the specialist roads policing team are deployed in such circumstances.
“A new national advice working group has also been established and the learning from this case will be shared with police forces across the country which I hope means we can avoid a repeat of similar incidents in the future.”
It is important to note that the Commissioner’s office is not involved in the recording or investigating of complaints against the Force which are managed by the Professional Standards Department (PSD) of Surrey Police.
However, anyone who remains dissatisfied after receiving the formal outcome of their complaint can make a request to the Commissioner’s office to review it. This is then handled by our Complaint Review Manager, who will independently review the outcome.