Changes to Surrey Police are the subject of a public consultation asking residents to have their say on the proposals.
The online consultation launched by Surrey Police Authority (SPA) is for public opinion on the Chief Constable Mark Rowley’s plans to replace a number of the county’s underused police buildings by moving their front counters into town halls and shopping centres.
This is part of bigger changes expected to provide up to 200 additional police constables for the county and improve the accessibility of Surrey Police’s services.
The online consultation includes a multiple choice questionnaire, which takes around 5 to 10 minutes to complete, and an ‘open’ comment facility, allowing residents to make more detailed comments or suggestions in writing.
It will run initially until the end of March but may be extended if there is demand.
The cost-cutting measures proposed at the end of last year include reducing the number of senior officers, simplifying the structure of the force and replacing a number of older and underused police stations, so Surrey Police can recruit up to 200 more constables.
Consultation on the plans will be carried out over the next three years. According to SPA, no police building will close unless a consultation with local residents has been undertaken and a better alternative found and put in place.
Peter Williams, chairman of SPA, said: “Since the Authority gave its support to the Chief Constable’s outline proposals in December we have been looking at how we can provide residents with opportunities to give us their views on the changes. We can offer one such opportunity very quickly by using our website and I welcome residents to visit our site to find out more about the planned changes and to have their say.”
“We are at the very beginning of what will be a lengthy process of change and there will be more opportunities to tell the force and the Authority what you think about the proposals in the months and years ahead.”
To give your opinion, go to www.surreypa.gov.uk/restructuring
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