Surrey Chief constable pledges 200 new police

Nov 24 2009 By Mark Goode

Chief constable Mark Rowley

Surrey's chief constable Mark Rowley is to close stations and cut some senior posts in order to put 200 extra officers on the beat. 

He said the force will also cut out red tape to make savings as part of radical plans due to be discussed on December 10 with Surrey Police Authority.

The authority wants the force simplified in light of current budget constraints and police hope the money saved by axing buildings will allow them to recruit many more front line officers.

The chief constable said: "Many police buildings are little-used by members of the public but there will be no changes to police stations until better locations for meeting neighbourhood teams have been put in place.

"Replacing old stations with better ways to meet the public will cut the cost of running our old buildings by millions of pounds and help pay for the 200 extra police constables on the frontline."

The police are hoping to liaise with local councils to allow policemen to set up desks in their offices, such as has been piloted in Addlestone with Runnymede Council, and they are looking at setting up meeting points in shopping centres and libraries.

Chief constable Rowley added: "We are determined to put the Surrey public first and give them the increases in visible policing they demand - even in a recession. We have difficult choices to make.

"We can either refuse to change and be forced to cut officer numbers and carry on with a complicated policing structure with lots of managers and bureaucracy and numerous inaccessible old, expensive buildings, - or have 200 more police constables working out of accessible buildings."

Chief constable Rowley said the old stations are not really visited by members of the public, and believes the higher street presence could cut down on border crime and organised criminals, but added it would take a few months to put in place.