Have you had your say yet on plans to merge Surrey Police with its neighbouring forces?
Under Government proposals – Surrey could become part of a larger south-east ‘mega force’ which will police a population larger than Greater London, New York or Scotland and Wales combined.
Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend is urging the county’s residents to let her know what they think by filling in her brief survey.
It is not too late to take part – the survey is open until Monday 17 August and can be found here: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/mergers/
Police reform
Under plans for police reform announced in January, the Government intends to scrap the current 43 force system in England and Wales and create larger regional forces in their place.
It would likely mean Surrey Police will disappear and be merged with neighbouring forces in Sussex, Thames Valley, Kent and Hampshire.
The Commissioner has voiced her concern at the plans saying she believes it would result in police resources being pulled away from Surrey communities leaving it with a second-rate service.
Lisa said: “We have had a great response so far to the survey so but I urge anyone who lives in Surrey and is interested in the future of policing in our county to fill it in and have their say
“Policing is at a vital crossroads right now. We must move with the times and reform is certainly needed but I am really concerned that the residents of Surrey will be left short-changed by these merger plans.
“A south-east region ‘mega force’ would be policing a population of over nine million people – that is more than Scotland and Wales put together.
Safest county
“We are the safest county in the region with no major city and I fear that on a Saturday night, police teams will not be concentrated in our communities in Surrey but will be drawn to places like Dover, Oxford, Reading or Portsmouth.
“This is my view and I know it will not be shared by everyone but although the Government are drawing the plans up, the public are not being consulted.
“That is why I have launched my survey. Whether you agree with the plans or not – I want to ensure the public of Surrey have a voice on this really important decision and is why I am asking everyone to take a few minutes to fill it in and have their say.
“I will then publish the results later this summer and share them with those who are making the decisions around force mergers.”
For further information about the proposals, you can read the Government’s white paper ‘From local to national: a new model for policing’:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-local-to-national-a-new-model-for-policing