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"One life lost is one life too many": New knife crime strategy launches

Surrey's Police and Crime Commissioner has joined a week of action against knife crime as she launched a new strategy.

Lisa Townsend visited Walton-on-Thames and Thorpe as part of Operation Sceptre, a national week to raise awareness of offending and encourage reporting.

It comes as the Surrey Serious Violence Reduction Partnership launches its new strategy.

The document lays out the blueprint for tackling offending in the county.

Knife crime rates in Surrey are at around half of the national average.

The Commissioner said: “One life lost to knife crime is one life too many.

“Surrey remains one of the safest places to live in the country.

“But knife crime is still ruining lives, and we cannot afford to be complacent."

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Plea after lamb's top lip is ripped off in dog attack at Surrey farm

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Ellie Vesey-Thompson has urged dog-owners to keep their pets on a lead after lambs were attacked in a Dorking field.

Ellie joined officers from Surrey Police's Rural Crime Team at a farm last month, where she learned of a recent attack on sheep.

One of the lambs suffered serious facial injuries, including the loss of a top lip.

The same farmer has previously lost almost 30 sheep in a dog attack.

Livestock worrying, an offence in the UK, includes barking, chasing, biting and killing.

The crime causes huge distress and financial loss in the farming community.

Even if a dog doesn’t catch a sheep, serious damage can be caused, with the stress causing some of the animals to die or ewes to miscarry lambs.

Ellie said "complacency" has led to "appalling" incidents.

"Surrey is home to many responsible dog-owners who deeply cherish their pets," she said.

“But even the most trusted of dogs can behave in surprising or shocking ways.

“The only way to be sure that a dog won’t chase farm animals is to keep them on a lead at all times."

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Force launches refreshed retail crime strategy after Commissioner's survey

Surrey Police has launched a refreshed strategy on tackling retail crime following a joint survey led by Commissioner Lisa Townsend and senior leaders.

The new strategy comes as the Force achieves a four-fold increase in the number of charges for shoplifting county-wide, amounting to more than 800 cases.

The arrest rate for these crimes has more than doubled - from around 10 per cent previously to around 24 per cent this year, and the solved outcome rate is currently 23.5 per cent - up from 16 per cent last year, and 11 per cent the year before.

It comes as Lisa closes a survey into the impact of retail crime. A report based on responses will be available later this year.

The Commissioner said: “I know from speaking to shop owners and staff, and reading the responses to our survey, that retail crime continues to have a significant impact across our county.

“We have seen impressive progress over the last year in tackling this issue but there is clearly more to do.

“That is why I am delighted that this new strategy will help our police teams work more closely with our retailers and target offenders, so we can drive this criminality out of our communities in Surrey.” 

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June 3 - Police and Crime Commissioner round table on flytipping

June 5 - Lisa Townsend to speak at breakfast networking event in Farnham

June 10 - Force Neighbourhood Conference

June 24 - PCC's monthly surgery

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Driver solving Rubick's Cube is caught on M25

A driver solving a Rubick's Cube on the M25 and a motorist who called his new girlfriend when 'their' song played are among those stopped in Surrey during Op Tramline.

The operation uses an unmarked HGV tractor unit loaned from Highways England to spot poor driving.

Surrey's roads policing teams have been at the forefront of the initiative since it launched a decade ago, and were the first to take out the HGV.

Across the country, officers have now racked up more than 13,000 hours as part of the Tramline.

Sergeant Dan Pascoe was one of the first to go out in the HGV - and now leads the operation in Surrey and Sussex.

He said: "The truck gives us an invaluable observation point.

"Vehicles have been getting progressively higher over the years, but this cab is a golden ticket enabling us to see over into pretty much every vehicle."

Commissioner Lisa Townsend joined Sgt Pascoe for a shift last year.

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Drug gangs use emojis to exploit young people

Children are recruited into county lines gangs by criminals who use a "new" form of language parents won't recognise, the Deputy Commissioner has said.

In an interview with BBC Radio Surrey, Ellie Vesey-Thompson said emojis are being used as code for drugs.

And she highlighted the work of Catch22's Music To My Ears programme, which offers support to children at risk of exploitation by criminals.

The programme is fully-funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, which has committed almost £400,000 in the past four years.

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