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Eyes in the skies! Commissioner catches up with the National Police Air Service

With more than 20,000 hours of flying time, one helicopter based at Redhill Aerodrome has supported police in Surrey to save thousands of lives – and make countless arrests.

The navy and yellow National Police Air Service (NPAS) aircraft is fitted with state-of-the-art cameras that can read an employee number on a lanyard from 1,200 feet up.

Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, visited Sergeant Paul Cole at the base and explored the helicopter on the ground to celebrate the service’s successes, including the recent arrest of a suspect and seizure of a firearm following a domestic incident.

NPAS's reach is extensive: Since the start of April 2026, NPAS crews have located 601 vulnerable people, 1831 suspects and 1,153 vehicles

Lisa said: “I have visited the National Police Air Service team at Redhill a number of times and I am consistently struck by the professionalism and dedication of the crew and personnel.

“Having this function based right here in Surrey is a fantastic asset for the county, providing aerial capabilities that supports vulnerable people and helps keep our communities stay safe."

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Commissioner's survey findings on proposed force mergers are revealed

80% of residents who took part in a survey by Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend say they do not want to see Surrey Police merged with neighbouring forces.

The vast majority of those who took part said they feared local policing priorities, accountability, police response and officer visibility would suffer if the Government pressed ahead with plans to create regional 'mega-forces'.

The current 43 force system in England and Wales is set to be scrapped meaning Surrey Police will likely disappear and be merged with their neighbours which could include Sussex, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Kent.

Nearly 3,500 people took part in the survey over the summer and the results will now be shared with Government.

Lisa said: "I want to thank everyone who took the time to participate. It is crystal clear the overwhelming majority of Surrey residents who took part do not believe this merger plan is a good idea.

"I believe that the strength of feeling evident in the comments people have left send a clear message - hands off our local police force!

"I will now be sharing the results of this survey with those who are making the decisions around force mergers and will continue to oppose these plans which I don't believe are in the best interests of Surrey residents."

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Deputy Commissioner encourages service personnel and veterans to sign up to the Forcer Protocol

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Ellie Vesey-Thompson is calling on military personnel and veterans to sign up to the Forcer Protocol which is now active in Surrey.

The Protocol is designed to ensure that no service man or woman is left unsupported during a mental health crisis. It helps police locate and protect those with a military background who may go missing.

Ellie said: "For those who have served their country, it's our moral obligation to recognise the experiences they've had on the front line may impact their quality of life back home.

"I would urge any current or former member of the Armed Forces in the UK to sign up. It could save a life."

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Attention Runnymede Borough residents!

The Policing Your Community roadshow has one final stop in Chertsey.

The Runnymede Borough event that had to be postponed due to a red extreme heat warning in June is rescheduled for this month.

If you are a Runnymede resident, please come along.

Details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday 22 September 2026
Time: 6pm - 7.30pm
Location: St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Free Prae Road, Chertsey

It's your opportunity to have your say on policing matters and hear from Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend, Chief Constable Tim De Meyer, and Borough Commander Ian Nash.

Registration is compulsory. Please sign up now to secure your place.

Key service funded by Commissioner's office named finalist in BBC awards

A service funded by the Commissioner's office which helps vulnerable residents across the county has been named a finalist in the Surrey and Sussex BBC Make a Difference Awards 2026.

Over the last four years, the Bridge the Gap service has assisted those experiencing complex challenges including poor mental health, problematic substance abuse and domestic abuse.

Lisa Townsend said: "Bridge the Gap offers truly life-changing support to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities so I am delighted to see this programme deservedly named as a finalist in these awards.

"The initiative not only ensures they can access the support they need to get their lives back on track, but with some, it helps prevent them from experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping."

Full story here >

The evolution of personal radio comms

The picture above is a PF1 Pocketfone, made by Pye of Cambridge – it's one of the earliest examples of a 2-unit personal radio that was used by Surrey Police in 1968.

Commissioner Lisa Townsend released this picture to mark the 175th anniversary of Surrey Police, as she has been looking through the archives at some key points in the Force's history.

Soon after the introduction of the PF1 Pocketfone, there was a call for having multi-channel personal radios and in the early 1970s, a personal radio was introduced that had 3 selectable channels. By the 1980s, personal radios were developed further, doubling in channel capacity.

In 1989, 2 manufacturers began supplying 99 channel personal radios to Police Forces nationwide.

In the 2000s, the ‘Airwave’ radio network – a digital system – was introduced nationwide which offered encryption and national interoperability.

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