Commissioner partners with Force to launch county-wide retail crime survey |
Retail crime is deeply distressing for entire communities - and Surrey Police are determined to drive out offenders.
That's the message from senior leaders as a new survey on criminality launches.
Surrey's Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, has partnered with the Force to learn more about the true scale of retail crime in Surrey.
And she is calling on the business community to have their say.
Neighbourhood crime is a key priority for Surrey Police. In the past year, almost 1,300 arrests for shop thefts have been made, up from 555 in the preceding 12 months.
Meanwhile, the number of retail crimes detected by the Force in a year has more than doubled, from 636 to 1,537.
But reports of retail crime are rising, both in Surrey and around the country.
Lisa said: "Retail crime is a blight that can have a significant impact, not only for retail workers and business owners, but for entire communities.
"This isn’t a victimless crime, and it can be extremely distressing to experience.
"We know there is more to do, and your voice matters, so please have your say."
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Knife crime, stop and search - and how to work with police dogs |
Students have asked their Commissioner questions on crime and policing in Surrey during two visits in February.
Lisa Townsend visited Collingwood College to speak to pupils taking the Citizenship GCSE, before travelling to Howard of Effingham School in Leatherhead to give advice on careers in policing.
During the first engagement, the Commissioner took questions on a range of subjects, including anti-social behaviour, stop and search, and reckless driving.
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In her second meeting, she spoke to hundreds of Year 9 pupils about the range of careers available through joining Surrey Police.
Lisa said: "Speaking with students about the subjects that concern or interest them is a real highlight of my job, and allows me to understand what matters most to our children and young people.
"While Surrey is one of the safest counties in the UK when it comes to knife crime, I learned there is real fear of offending among some pupils.
"Nationally, we know that those who carry a blade are more likely to be seriously injured or killed by a knife, and it's crucial that we are aware of that concern among young people, even though reported offences are low in Surrey.
"I also hugely enjoyed having the opportunity to share more about careers in policing with students in Leatherhead - there was plenty of interest in our internationally-recognised dog school based in Guildford!"
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Commissioner and Deputy celebrate the role of Surrey's vital police staff |
Lisa Townsend and her Deputy, Ellie Vesey-Thompson, have marked a national week of celebrations for the role of police staff.
From dog handlers to crime scene investigators and victim caseworkers, police staff are vital in Surrey.
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6 March - Surrey Annual Armed Forces Conference
24 March - PCC's monthly surgery
Sign up here
March 25 - National Rural Crime Network Conference
April 14 - Retail crime survey closes
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"It literally saved my life" |
Lisa Townsend has visited a service that uses music, film-making and photography to help criminally-exploited children rebuild their lives.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) is the sole funder of Catch22’s Music To My Ears programme.
Over the past four years, almost £400,000 has been committed to the programme through the OPCC.
Young people who have been exploited and used by county lines drug dealing operations or have been involved in serious violence are among those to attend the service in Farnham.
Lisa met with a teenager who is now attending a prestigious music college, four years after first coming to the service for support.
Other clients say Music To My Ears has pulled them out of criminality, with one telling the team: “It has literally saved my life.”
Lisa said: "Those who have been groomed or exploited can learn that it is not their fault, that help is out there, and that there are adults who will support them to break free from criminality.
“I am so proud to fund this fantastic, life-changing programme.”
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Romance fraudsters scam victims out of £7million in a single year |
More than 600 people in Surrey and Sussex reported a romance fraud in the past year - with almost £7million lost to "appalling" scams.
Lisa Townsend has now urged anyone who fears either they or a loved one may be a victim to come forward and speak to police.
Anyone can become a victim of romance fraud. A common misconception is that women are more commonly affected, although across both counties, 48 per cent of victims are men.
Fraudsters make contact through various means including dating sites, social media platforms, and in person, presenting themselves as the ‘perfect match’.
They swiftly encourage victims to move to messaging on less monitored apps such as WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, and Telegram.
After establishing what appears to be a genuine relationship, they will then manipulate their victims into handing over money.
Payment is commonly made through bank transfers, but last year gift cards including iTunes vouchers became the fastest growing payment type.
Lisa said: "This appalling crime can be deeply personal to victims, who may feel the grief of both the crime itself and the loss of what they believed to be a genuine relationship.
“To those who believe they’ve been scammed, I say to you directly: please come forward. You will not be judged or shamed by Surrey Police."
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