Last week, I met with Gavin Stephens, the Surrey Chief Constable to discuss Elmbridge residents’ concerns and priorities for local policing. The Chief Constable explained that Surrey Police will hire one hundred new Officers, Police Community Support Officers and front line police staff by April 2020.
Of the new staff, Elmbridge will see between 3 and 5 new Officers dedicated specifically to the borough, as well as benefitting from extra support from specialist teams working (cross-county) to reduce crime originating from outside the county, which accounts for roughly half of all crime in Surrey.
We also discussed the shocking recent stabbing in Hinchley Wood. The Chief Constable updated me on the progress with the investigation and Surrey Police’s wider work to prevent violent crime in the Borough.
Finally, we discussed ongoing action to address the illegal traveller encampments, which we saw last summer. I welcomed the proactive enforcement approach taken by Elmbridge’s Neighbourhood Inspector Dallas McDermott. The Conservative-run Elmbridge Borough Council has also secured an injunction which will make it easier to remove illegal encampments.
