The Six Villages

Violence Against Women and Girls

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) refers to a wide range of crimes and abusive behaviours that disproportionately affect women and girls, although people of all genders can be victims. These offences cause significant physical, emotional, psychological, and social harm, and their impact often extends beyond individuals to families and communities. There have been an increase in exposure offences reported in the borough of Surrey Heath.
Surrey Police is committed to pursuing those who are committing these types of offences. We are aware that VAWG offences are underreported and our team are engaging with the community to encourage reporting and using 999 when there is a crime in progress. Increased patrols are being completed in places that have been targeted for these types of offences. The neighbourhood team are working with our proactive team to arrange days of action with specially trained officers to observe and intervene when necessary.
Since the priority has been added the following work has been undertaken by the local team:
•Day of action with plain clothes and specially trained officers observing behaviours in large green spaces across the borough.
•Joint work with the council during World Cup games offering a safe space for victims of VAWG offences, along with uniformed patrols and the use of specially trained officers.
•Local officers have attended park run events to engage with participants and raise awareness
•Plans are being made for the summer period for events to engage with the public around this subject and further patrols in hotspot locations being planned.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and Drug activity in Bagshot

We are receiving increasing reports of general anti-social behaviour in the Bagshot area, specifically including the use of illicit substances.

In response to this, we will be working hard to engage with the community to highlight offenders, thus allowing us to take targeted positive action towards those responsible for the use/supply of drugs into our communities. We will be increasing our patrols of identified areas where such activity is either taking place or originating from, both in uniform and plain clothes

Retail and Rural Thefts

Retail and business crime is not only a Local, but National priority under Operation Assure. In the villages we will be specifically targeting shoplifting payment offences in village shops and make off without payment offences in our many fuel garages, with high visibility vehicle and foot patrols, meaningful engagements with local business owners and a robust approach towards offenders.

Extensive work is already underway with businesses such as BP Lightwater including working with our “designing out crime officer” (DOCO) to provide extensive crime prevention tactics and advice. We will also be looking to visit the rural locations and engage with the community, offering crime prevention and reporting advice as well as trying to identify more specific issues the community are facing.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in School Lane, Bagshot and Streets Heath, West End

Anti-Social behaviour occurring in the recreational ground on School Lane, Bagshot including the theft of the lake’s water safety equipment, and in Streets Heath, West End in relation to the use of catapults on wildlife and reports of drug dealing and use on the recreation ground.

We will be working with the West End Parish Council, offering advice on crime prevention methods as well as working with our rural crime team to try and address this issue. High visibility patrols will continue in the area and offenders will be dealt with robustly, using a range of ASB powers to also try and prevent further issues and offending.

We are working with the Windlesham Parish Council to raise awareness of this issue and will be completing continuing patrols of the area and engaging with members of the public. We will be looking into ways in which we can raise awareness of water safety as well as consulting on other avenues partner agencies can explore to resolve the issues in School Lane. As above, any identified offenders will be dealt with robustly in conjunction with the ASB and policing powers available.

We will be working with our Youth Engagement Officers to raise awareness of the implications of these behaviours and working with our “Designing Out Crime Officer” (DOCO) to provide extensive crime prevention tactics and advice to our partner agencies.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in Chobham Place Woods including excessive littering.

We will be working with the local authorities to try and address the issues around behaviours such as the littering, ensuring there is a plan of action in place for local authorities to address this issue.

Officers will increase their presence in the area, utilising both uniform and plain clothed capabilities to not only try and apprehend the offenders but also to provide reassurance to the community and ensure the area remains a safe place for the community to visit. Any identified offenders will be dealt with robustly in line with criminal justice procedures.