The force is currently led by Chief Constable Gavin Stephens. Previously the force was led by Nick Ephgrave who left the force to re-join the Metropolitan Police. This was announced by the county PCC on 13 December 2018.[4]
Previous to this, the chief constable was Lynne Owens, Surrey's first female chief constable.[5] Owens left in December 2015.
The force has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey.
History
On 1 January 1851, the Surrey Constabulary began its policing of the county with a total of 70 officers, the youngest of whom was 14 years old.[citation needed] The first Chief Constable was H. C. Hastings, who served in this capacity for 48 years. Originally Guildford, Reigate and Godalming had separate borough police forces. The Reigate and Guildford forces were merged into Surrey's in 1943.
Today
Part of the present force area was originally part of the Metropolitan Police District, and was only transferred to the control of Surrey Police from the Metropolitan Police in 2000. This includes the boroughs of Epsom and Ewell, Spelthorne and part of Reigate and Banstead and Elmbridge. Surrey Police was divided into three divisions but in 2010 became a single division, and as of March 2014 is policed by 1,938 regular police officers, in addition to 182 Special Constables and 153 Police Community Support Officers (see table below for more information). Surrey has one of the lowest crime rates in England and Wales. It has now reverted to three area divisions.
For 2017/18, Surrey Police has total expenditure of £224.1m, of which £183.2m goes on employee costs, £27.3m on supplies and services, £8.8m on premises, and £4.8m on transport. It also has £11.1m of income, resulting in "gross expenditure" of £213m.[6]
The last permanent Chief Constable of Surrey Police was Nick Ephgrave, appointed in July 2016. He had been temporary Chief Constable since December 2015 and was previously Deputy Chief Constable, having been in that role since July 2013. Before this he was a Commander in the Metropolitan Police. The previous Chief Constable of Surrey Police was Lynne Owens, who left to become the head of the National Crime Agency.
Woking police station
Surrey Police has four main divisions: three area divisions, Northern, Eastern, and Western; and a specialist crime/ops division. Within the three division are multiple borough teams. Typically each borough will have a Neighbourhood Specialist Team (formerly they Safer Neighbourhood Team) and a Neighbourhood Policing Team (Formerly the Area Patrol Team/Targeted Patrol Team/Response). These borough teams are supported by investigative teams which span the whole division, this being the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Safeguarding Investigation Unit (SIU).
The specialist crime division is often referred to as OPS, and includes specialist units. This being the Roads Policing Unit (RPU), Tactical Firearms Unit (TFU), Specialist Dog Handlers, Crime Scene Investigation Officers (formerly SOCOs).
There are further force wide teams, some of which are now joint teams with Sussex Police, including the Paedophile and OnLine Investigation Team (POLIT), Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT, Sussex/Surrey Joint team), Sexual Offences Investigation Team (SOIT) and then a range of support services typical of many forces.
In November 2023, Surrey Police announced it would have to move out of Reigate police station due to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) being discovered in the building. Repairs are expected to take up to two years to complete. The station will move to the former Surrey Fire and Rescue Service headquarters at Wray Park in the interim.[7]
Notes: 1. All figures are official Home Office figures. 2. All figures are full-time equivalents apart from for special constables which are a headcount. 3. Figures apply to 31 March of that year, e.g., 2008/09 figures are for 31 March 2009. 4. Designated Officers that are not PCSOs have one of three roles: investigation officer, detention officer or escort officer.
Senior people
Police and crime commissioners
The first election for Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner took place on 15 November 2012. Kevin Hurley (independent, stood under the label "Zero Tolerance Policing ex Chief"), who was a retired Metropolitan Police borough commander, was elected. He defeated candidates from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, UKIP, plus an independent.
The second election took place on 5 May 2016. The Conservative candidate, David Munro, was elected. He defeated Jamie Goldrick, independent; Kevin Hurley; Camille Juliff, independent; Howard Kaye, Labour; Paul Kennedy, Liberal Democrat; and Julia Searle, UKIP.[9]
Surrey Police has the following ranks. Every rank from constable to chief superintendent has a detective equivalent. These confer no additional powers or authority from their uniform equivalents.
Chief constable
Deputy chief constable
Assistant chief constable
Chief superintendent
Superintendent
Chief inspector
Inspector
Sergeant
Constable
Air operations unit
Surrey has air operations covered by the National Police Air Service. The helicopter callsign NPAS15 which predominately covers the Surrey Policing area is based at Redhill Aerodrome and also covers the Sussex, West Hampshire and Essex Area.
Surrey Police Museum
To help celebrate its 150th anniversary, a museum portraying the history of the Force was opened at Mount Browne, the Surrey Police's headquarters in Guildford. Surrey resident Sir Michael Caine, CBE, opened the museum on 22 October 2001. Displays include artefacts and touch-screen technology, all tracing the history of the Force up to the present day.
Training of new recruits
Surrey Police now operates the PLC (police, law & community) course method of training and recruitment. This course ensures that potential recruits already possess knowledge of police law before applying to join Surrey Police. The course is run by several colleges in Surrey, as well as the University of Portsmouth. Although the PLC certificate can be obtained with a pass mark of 40% in the final examination, Surrey Police require a pass mark of 60% to become eligible to reach the application stage of the recruitment process.
The course allows the training phase of a police officer to be reduced by 15 weeks.
Complaints
There were 710 complaint cases for Surrey Police in 2009/10. This is a 206% change on the 2003/04 figure. This is the second highest increase (after Northamptonshire) of all 43 forces in England and Wales. For comparison, the average change across forces in England and Wales over the same period was 113%.[14] Surrey Police have been condemned by a coroner's jury over the death of Terry Smith who was restrained and put in a spit hood and kept in restraints for over two hours despite saying repeatedly that he could not breathe.[15]
Proposed merger with Sussex Police
Under controversial merger plans announced by then Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, in 2006, the number of police forces in England and Wales would have been cut from 43 to 24. Proposals put forward on 20 March 2006 would have seen the Surrey force merged with Sussex Police to form a single strategic police force for the area.[16]
Police authorities had until 7 April 2006 to respond to the plans; the Home Secretary then announced on 11 April 2006 that Surrey Police and Sussex Police would merge by 2008. However, on 12 July 2006, a Government minister announced that all proposed police merger plans in England and Wales were on hold.[17]
Although, as of 2018, there are no plans to merge Surrey and Sussex Police into one force, the two organisations do have certain specialist departments which are shared across both force areas such as the firearms & roads policing units and alongside major investigations.[18]
Crime and detection rates
Surrey has the joint seventh lowest crime rate (with one other force) of the 43 force areas in England and Wales, with 55 crimes per 1,000 population. In the year to the end of March 2012 there were 61,757 crimes recorded in Surrey, according to Office for National Statistics figures published in July 2012. This is a 5.2% drop on 2010/11 when there were 65,125 crimes recorded in Surrey.[19][20]
Despite having the joint seventh lowest crime rate, the detection rate for offences was the joint second lowest (with one other force) of the 43 forces in England and Wales, with a rate of 20 percent. The average for England and Wales was 27 percent.
Detection rates by offence group, percentages[21][22]
Total
Violence against the person
Sexual offences
Robbery
Burglary
Offences against vehicles
Other theft offences
Fraud and forgery
Criminal damage
Drug offences
Other offences
Surrey (2011/12)
20
27
27
21
10
6
17
15
8
92
54
Surrey (2010/11)
20
28
26
25
10
6
17
22
9
91
48
England and Wales (2011/12)
27
44
30
21
13
11
21
22
13
92
68
England and Wales (2010/11)
28
44
30
21
13
11
22
24
14
94
69
Future of Surrey Police
In a report published by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in July 2011,[23] the impact on the number of police officers and staff partly due to the reduction to Surrey Police's budget following the comprehensive spending review is as follows:
Police officers
Police staff
PCSOs
Total
31 March 2010 (actual)
1,890
2,092
224
4,206
31 March 2015 (proposed)
1,959
2,184
222
4,365
Notable cases
This section needs expansionwith: more information and cases. You can help by adding to it. (October 2011)
Surrey Police officer numbers by rank and division as at 31 December 2015:[24]
Division
Police Constables
Det Constables
Sergeants
Inspectors
Ch Inspectors
Supt
Ch Supt
ACPO
Total
Western
319
40
60
14
3
2
1
0
439
Eastern
280
40
57
14
3
2
1
0
397
Northern
244
37
55
12
3
2
0
0
353
Specialist Crime
78
74
41
14
5
5
1
0
218
Operations
158
1
26
3
1
2
0
0
191
Support Services
162
2
10
1
0
1
0
0
176
CJ & Custody
7
0
52
5
1
1
0
0
66
DCC Portfolio
5
2
8
5
2
1
1
0
24
Contact
0
0
4
11
2
1
0
0
18
Support Units
1
2
4
3
0
0
0
4
14
Total
1,254
198
317
82
20
17
4
4
1,896
Surrey Police officer numbers by rank and division as at 31 December 2013:[25]
Division
Police Constables
Det Constables
Sergeants
Inspectors
Ch Inspectors
Supt
Ch Supt
ACPO
Total
Specialist Crime
182
139
100
24
7
4
1
0
457
Western
346
31
59
11
2
2
1
0
452
Eastern
254
32
42
11
2
2
1
0
344
Northern
228
28
34
12
2
2
1
0
307
Operations
193
0
30
5
1
1
0
0
230
HR
81
2
6
1
0
0
0
0
90
Support Units
7
5
4
5
1
3
0
4
29
Central Units
5
0
7
11
2
1
0
0
26
DCC Portfolio
1
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
4
Total
1,297
237
282
81
19
15
4
4
1,939
Surrey Police officer numbers by rank and "Command" as at 31 December 2011:[26]
Command
Police Constables
Det Constables
Sergeants
Inspectors
Ch Inspectors
Supt/ Ch Supt/ ACPO
Total
Response
476
1
63
26
4
5
575
Investigation
251
141
108
21
6
3
530
Neighbourhoods
237
0
53
15
2
3
310
Tasking & Coordinating
117
28
31
9
4
2
191
HR-Probationers
141
0
0
0
0
0
141
Joint Collaboration
53
24
12
4
3
2
98
Human Resources
46
2
6
1
0
0
55
Professional Standards
3
3
4
3
1
0
14
ACPO/Corporate Communications
2
0
2
0
0
3
7
Force Improvement Team
0
0
0
4
1
2
7
Enterprise
2
1
0
1
0
0
4
Police Federation
1
0
1
1
0
0
3
Corporate Development
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Diversity
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
Total
1,330
200
280
85
22
20
1,654
Surrey Police officer numbers by rank and division as at 31 December 2009:[27]
Division
Constables
Sergeants
Inspectors
Ch Inspectors
Superintendents
Ch Superintendents
Total
General policing
1,006
187
51
9
8
2
1,263
Specialist operations
343
65
30
13
4
2
457
Support
36
15
14
7
2
3
77
Citizen Focus
19
7
12
3
2
0
43
Total
1,404
274
107
32
16
7
1897
Ford Focus pictured in 2014BMW 5 Series pictured in 2014
Road casualties in Surrey
As well as preventing and detecting crime, Surrey Police say that "dealing with road accidents forms a large part of our job, or at least taking measures to try and prevent them".[28] The following table shows the number of casualties, grouped by severity, on Surrey's roads over recent years.[29][30]
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Fatal
45
41
32
28
18
18
38
Serious
483
530
488
554
556
581
697
Total
528
571
520
582
574
599
735
Slight
5,411
5,184
4,811
5,173
4,991
4,624
4,673
Grand total
5,939
5,755
5,331
5,755
5,565
5,223
5,408
Criticism by the IPCC
Lack of investigation of phone hacking
In criticism widely reported in the media,[31][32][33] Deborah Glass, Deputy Chair of the IPCC, said in a six-page report[34][35] regarding the hacking in 2002 of the phone of the murdered Milly Dowler:
"It is apparent from the evidence that there was knowledge of this at all levels within the investigation team.
"There is equally no doubt that Surrey Police did nothing to investigate it; nobody was arrested or charged in relation to the alleged interception of those messages either in 2002 or subsequently, until the Operation Weeting arrests in 2011.
"Phone hacking was a crime in 2002 and it should have been investigated. [...] We have not been able to uncover any evidence, in documentation or witness statements, of why and by whom that decision [not to investigate] was made: former senior officers in particular appear to have been afflicted by a form of collective amnesia about this." She also said: "In view of the widespread knowledge uncovered in this investigation, we consider that it is scarcely credible that no one connected to the Milly Dowler investigation recognised the relevance and importance of the knowledge that Surrey Police had in 2002, before this information was disclosed by Operation Weeting."
Return of firearms used in double murder
In Farnham in February 2014, John Lowe murdered Christine and Lucy Lee, using one of his firearms that had been returned to him by Surrey Police. In October 2014, Lowe was convicted of their murders and received a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years.[36]
Two independent reports by Hampshire Constabulary and North Yorkshire Police criticised the decision to return his firearms, which prompted the IPCC to launch an independent investigation. This investigation concluded in February 2016 and it published its findings in a 73-page report in April 2017.[37][38][39][40] IPCC associate commissioner Tom Milsom said: "Our investigation paints a deeply concerning portrait of how Surrey Police's firearms licensing team operated at that time. We found a unit which lacked the necessary training and processes to manage such a serious responsibility, staffed by individuals who were failing to undertake their duties with rigour and due consideration."[41]
Two staff members left Surrey Police as a result of this investigation, one being dismissed for gross misconduct and the other retiring before a hearing for gross misconduct could take place.[42]
The IPCC also conducted a separate independent investigation into complaints made by Stacey Banner, the daughter of Christine Lee and sister of Lucy Lee, who was arrested in a separate incident weeks after the murders. The IPCC found that a detective constable and a detective sergeant had cases to answer for misconduct and a detective inspector for gross misconduct.[43]
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly referred to as the Metropolitan Police, is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within the ceremonial county of Greater London. In addition, it is responsible for some specialised matters throughout the United Kingdom, including national counter-terrorism measures and the protection of specific people, such as the monarch and other members of the royal family, members of the government, and other officials.
British Transport Police is a national special police force that polices the railway network of England, Wales and Scotland. The force polices more than 10,000 miles of track and more than 3,000 stations and depots.
Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Most law enforcement duties are carried out by those who hold the office of police constable of a territorial police force.
West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.
Avon and Somerset Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement in the five unitary authority areas of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, Somerset, and South Gloucestershire in South West England.
Devon and Cornwall Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial counties of Devon and Cornwall in South West England. The force serves approximately 1.8 million people over an area of 3,967 square miles (10,270 km2).
Gwent Police is a territorial police force in Wales, responsible for policing the local authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen.
Dorset Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Dorset in South West England, which includes the largely rural area covered by Dorset Council, and the urban conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Essex Police is a territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Essex, in the East of England. Essex Police is responsible for a population of over 1.8 million people and an area of 1,420 square miles (3,700 km2).
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in South East England.
Sussex Police are the territorial police force responsible for policing in the whole of Sussex. Their jurisdiction covers the ceremonial counties of East Sussex and West Sussex. Their headquarters are in Malling House, Lewes, East Sussex.
Nottinghamshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the shire county of Nottinghamshire and the unitary authority of Nottingham in the East Midlands area of England. The area has a population of just over 1 million.
Suffolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Suffolk in East Anglia, England. The force serves a population of 761,000 in a mostly rural area of 1,466 square miles, including 49 miles of coastline and the Southern part of the Broads National Park. Headquartered in Martlesham, Suffolk is responsible for Ipswich, Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds and Felixstowe. As of March 2023, the force has a strength of approximately 1,399 police officers, 116 special constables, 917 police staff/designated officers, 33 PCSO's and 123 police support volunteers. The Chief Constable is currently Rachel Kearton, and the Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore (Conservative).
Northamptonshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Northamptonshire in the East Midlands of England, in the United Kingdom.
On 21 March 2002, Amanda Jane "Milly" Dowler, a 13-year-old English schoolgirl, was reported missing by her parents after failing to return home from school and not being seen since walking along Station Avenue in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, that afternoon. Following an extensive search, her remains were discovered in Yateley Heath Woods in Yateley, Hampshire, on 18 September.
The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are to provide armed security and counter terrorism services to designated high-risk areas, as well as uniformed policing and limited investigative services to Ministry of Defence property, personnel, and installations throughout the United Kingdom. The MDP are not military police. Service personnel often refer to the MDP by the nickname "MOD plod".
Police Scotland, officially the Police Service of Scotland, is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland, as well as the specialist services of the Scottish Police Services Authority, including the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency. Although not formally absorbing it, the merger also resulted in the winding up of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland.
Ronald William Ball is a former Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), and the first person to hold the post. At the time of his election he was the only independent PCC not to have a background in policing. After a four-decade long career in aviation as an airline pilot on both commercial and cargo flights he was elected to the newly created office of Police and Crime Commissioner on 15 November 2012. One of his first acts in the post was to endorse an alliance with a neighbouring police force aimed at pooling resources and reducing overall costs. Although his role was a non-operational one, he requested a review of a police investigation into a motoring accident that left several people injured, citing public concerns over the incident. After it emerged that police officers who held a meeting with former Conservative Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell following his involvement in the Plebgate affair had not given a proper account of their conversation, Ball became caught up in the affair after criticising the findings of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) which recommended the officers be disciplined. Ball did not contest the 2016 election for the post, and was succeeded by Philip Seccombe of the Conservative Party.
References
↑ "History". www.surrey.police.uk. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
↑ 'HAYES, Sir Brian', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 4 Nov 2017
↑ 'WILLIAMS, David John', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 4 Nov 2017
↑ Office for National Statistics (July 2012). Crime Statistics, Period Ending March 2012. See "Crime statistics: Police force area data tables 2011-12 - Crime in England and Wales, Quarterly First Release to March 2012".
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