Surrey Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner launch national Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service
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Surrey Police and Lisa Townsend, the Police and Crime Commissioner, have joined all police forces in the UK to launch the Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service, which will be run by the independent charity Crimestoppers. The service was established to give the public an anonymous and confidential route to report concerns about criminal behaviour by individuals in policing. It will bolster the Force’s capability to take action against those who are not fit to serve, a commitment made by Chief Constable Tim De Meyer and Lisa Townsend, the PCC. The Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service covers information relating to officers, staff and volunteers who:
Crimestoppers will take reports from the public about individuals employed by Surrey Police, as well as any police force in the UK, regardless of whether the information relates to them whilst they are on or off duty, online or in person. Reports can be submitted online and telephone calls are free. When people contact the service, they can choose to remain 100% anonymous, or can opt to leave their details if they are willing for the force investigation team to contact them directly. Information received by Crimestoppers will be passed to Surrey Police and our Professional Standards Department, who will assess it. The Force may then pass the information to specialist detectives to begin an investigation, take steps to safeguard someone at risk or in danger, or record the information to inform future investigations. The service sits alongside Surrey Police’s existing complaints procedure and has been set up solely to take reports of corruption and or serious abuse committed by serving police officers, staff and volunteers. Chief Constable Tim De Meyer said: "The vast majority of our officers and staff are professional, selfless, courageous and a credit to Surrey Police. “However, we are not complacent and are determined to rid policing of those who fall below the high standards we expect of each other, and that the public rightly expects and deserves. “The Police Anti-Corruption and Abuse Reporting Service will help us to earn the trust and confidence of the public by enabling the reporting of wrongdoing, independent of policing. “As well as the introduction of this new reporting service for members of the public, we have set up a comprehensive programme of cultural change in respect of challenging, reporting and tackling of unethical or unprofessional behaviour. This has included every officer and staff member undertaking mandatory training. "Last year we also checked the details of all serving police officers, staff and volunteers against the Police National Database (PND) to identify any areas of concern that had been missed and warranted further investigation. In Surrey, we also took the further step of checking all employees against our own police records management system. "We remain determined to root out anyone who is not fit to serve the county and its communities and are pleased with the introduction of this new reporting service for members of the public." Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, said: “It is crucial that members of the public have trust in their police. “I have been clear that any officer who brings policing into disrepute is not fit to wear the uniform, and we must be unrelenting in rooting out those who would abuse their position. “The vast majority of officers, both in Surrey and across the country, are dedicated, committed, and work tirelessly to keep communities safe. “But where there is evidence that anyone has been involved in criminality, I believe they must face the toughest possible sanctions.” Crimestoppers can be reached by freephone 0800 085 0000 or online here; https://forms.theiline.co.uk/police-anti-corruption-and-abuse-reporting-service |