LGBTQ+ Liaison Officers

We have LGBTQ+ Liaison Officers (LOs), who are officers and staff within the Force.

They carry out the role of an LGBTQ+ LO alongside their day-to-day role, and we currently have more than 30 across the county. LOs play a key role in how Surrey Police shapes and delivers its services to the LGBTQ+ community, building strong relationships along the way.

Fundamental to achieving this is effective communication both internally and externally to reassure and build and maintain trust with the LGBTQ+ community. This includes raising awareness of LGBTQ+ matters and sharing information including hate crime statistics.

LOs can also be pivotal in managing critical incidents and supporting day-to-day police investigations, developing systems and processes to provide a seamless level of professional service, encourage crime/incident reporting and securing intelligence from the LGBTQ+ community.

Our network of LGBTQ+ LOs work throughout the districts of Surrey, which means that there are points of contact across the county. If you are a victim of crime and are assigned an LGBTQ+ LO, they will be there to support you throughout the investigation.

They can support you by liaising with any partner agencies or services you may need, and this means that as a victim of crime, you have a point of contact throughout to talk you through the process. LGBTQ+ LOs can also support the friends and families of victims of crime.

A key responsibility for an LGBTQ+ LO is to make themselves known in LGBTQ+ and wider community venues and provide the venues with details of how they can be contacted. LGBTQ+ LOs work closely within the community, attending events, raising awareness of their role and being a visible point of contact.

LOs will not solely focus on LGBTQ+ venues to promote awareness in their division, as not every area will have bars and clubs aimed exclusively at LGBTQ+ communities. They also visit schools, colleges, and universities to connect with young people and understand the barriers when it comes to speaking to the police and reporting crime. 

LGBTQ+ LOs have training in, and a specific understanding of, LGBTQ+ issues and perform the role because they believe in its value. They offer support to officers, staff, and the LGBTQ+ community and work to increase trust and confidence of the LGBTQ+ community within Surrey Police.

If you’d like to contact Surrey Police’s LOs, you can speak to them when you see them within the community. You can also contact them via email: [email protected]