Priorities and direction

The plan describes how we will put this mission into practice and sets out the key activities and milestones that we consider essential if we are to achieve our mission.

This document has been developed alongside the National Police Chiefs Council Policing Vision 2025 and the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan, and it will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Additionally it is supported by a series of strategy and plan documents, which are also reviewed on a regular basis.

Our vision is fully encapsulated in a one-page easy to read document which we call our Plan on a Page.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has published the full Police and Crime Plan which details the six public police and crime priorities for Surrey. This Plan sets the strategic direction for the Force and partners in criminal justice and community safety.

View the full Police and Crime Plan or visit the PCC website, which also includes the public consultation that fed into this year's plan.

Policing in Surrey

Surrey covers 644 square-miles, with one county council, 11 boroughs/districts and six clinical commissioning groups with five major hospitals.

It has 62 motorway miles, including the busiest M25 stretch. Surrey’s rivers include the Thames (notable flooding risk); the county is 73% greenbelt. Surrey borders the UK’s busiest two airports.

It is the most densely populated county in SE England, having increased in population by 8.8 per cent since 2001 to 1.2 million. 9.6 per cent of the reported population is from black and ethnic minority communities, varying from 16.4 per cent in Woking borough to 4.0 per cent in Waverley.

It has the fourth largest Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community in the UK.

Surrey’s universities have 24,000 students.

The Olympic legacy increased the sporting footprint, with national cycling competitions and the country’s largest one-day sporting event (Epsom Derby). The increase in cycling on Surrey’s roads has caused tensions for road users.

Surrey Police’s central budget has reduced by around 14 per cent during 2010/11 - 2014/15; the Force receives the second lowest funding per head of population in England/Wales resulting in the highest local precept level. In March 2015, Surrey will have 3995 officers/staff (5% reduction since 2010), however officer numbers will have increased by 3 per cent to 1938. Officer and staff sickness is low, at 6.9 and 7.3 days/year respectively. Public confidence remains high.

Recorded crime is falling, however FYtD 3601 more incidents were attended in 2014 versus 2010 (111,546); in particular, ‘concern-for-safety’ incidents rose almost 6 per cent to 11,551.

Recorded levels of sexual offences and domestic abuse are rising, and the new Complex Abuse Unit has a live Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) investigation underway - Surrey has a number of children’s homes and CSE is a risk.

There are 71 active Organised Criminal Groups and six have been dismantled FYtD. There is more information on our performance page.

The Force has invested resource in historic issues, notably the Savile investigation and hacking of Milly Dowler’s telephone. This will continue with the Deepcut inquests and other cases.