Surrey Police

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Surrey Police
Image:Surreypolice.jpg
Coverage
Surrey Police
Surrey Police area
Area Surrey
Size 1,663 km²
Population 1,067,200
Operations
Formed 1 January 1851
HQ Mount Browne, Guildford
Budget {{{budget}}}
Officers 1,921
Divisions 3
Stations 12
Temporary Chief Constable Mark Rowley
Website http://www.surrey.police.uk/

Surrey Police is the Home Office police force of the county of Surrey in the south of England

The force is lead by Temporary Chief Constable Mark Rowley and has its headquarters at Mount Browne, Guildford, Surrey.

Contents

[edit] History

On January 1, 1851, the Surrey Constabulary began its policing of the county with a total of 70 officers, the youngest of whom was 14 years old. The first Chief Constable was H. C. Hastings, who served in this capacity for 48 years. Originally Guildford, Reigate and Godalming had separate borough police forces. Reigate and Guildford were merged into Surrey in 1943.

[edit] Today

Part of the present force area was originally part of the Metropolitan Police District, and was only transferred to the control of Surrey Police from the Metropolitan Police in 2000. Surrey Police is now divided into three divisions, and is currently policed by 1,921 police officers (see table below for more information). Surrey Police has one of the lowest crime rates in England and Wales.

Surrey Police employee numbers for last year and current year [1]
2005/06 2006/07
Police officers 1,944 1,921
Community support officers 104 185
Staff 1,447 1,665
Special constables 350 350

[edit] Surrey Police Museum

To help celebrate its 150th anniversary, a museum portraying the history of the Force was opened at Mount Browne, the Surrey Police's headquarters in Guildford. Surrey resident Sir Michael Caine, CBE, took a break from filming his latest movie to officially open the doors to the museum on 22nd October, 2001. Months of hard work went into the development of the museum. Displays include a reconstructed lock-up (an old-fashioned holding cell for drunks and criminals), an audio representation of the policing of the Guildford riots and World War I, artefacts and touch-screen technology, all tracing the history of the Force up to the present day.

[edit] Training of New Recruits

Surrey Police is also one of the first police forces to have initiated IPLDP (Initial Police Learning and Development Program). These police forces in the UK are now responsible for training their own recruits. In April 2006, Surrey Police officially launched IPLDP attended by other UK police force representatives.

New recruits are trained at the Surrey Police Headquarters, Mount Browne. Training lasts around seven months. Recruits receive their Warrant Card and Uniform in the first week of training.

Once the six months training is over, the new officers are posted in a local division. They are on probation for two years, and part of the continuing training programme involves a National Vocational Qualification in Policing.

[edit] Complaints

There were 551 complaint cases for Surrey Police in 2005/06. This is a 26% increase on the 2004/05 figure of 439. For comparison, the average increase across forces in England and Wales over the same period was 15%. [2] [3]

[edit] Proposed Merger with Sussex Police

Under controversial merger plans announced by the Home Secretary in 2006, the number of police forces in England and Wales would have been cut from 43 to 24. Proposals put forward on March 20, 2006 would have seen the Surrey force merged with Sussex Police to form a single strategic police force for the area. [4]

Police authorities had until April 7, 2006 to respond to the plans; the Home Secretary then announced on Tuesday April 11 2006 that Surrey Police and Sussex Police would merge by 2008. However, on Wednesday July 12 2006, a Government minister announced that all proposed police merger plans in England and Wales had been put on "long-term hold."

[edit] Stations with Borough Divisions

Epsom & Ewell Borough

Mole Valley District

Tandridge District

Reigate and Banstead Borough

Spelthorne Borough

Guildford Borough

Woking Borough


Elmbridge Borough

  • Cobham (Part Time, Manned by Volunteers)
  • Molesey (Part Time, Manned by Volunteers)
  • Esher
  • Walton On Thames

Waverley Borough

Surrey Heath Borough

Runnymede

HQ

  • Mount Browne

[edit] See also

[edit] Other Surrey Emergency Services

[edit] External links