Burglaries
Following a spate of burglaries across Surrey Heath in 2019, Michael wrote to the Chief Constable of Surrey Police in October 2019 and received a helpful response from Surrey Heath’s then Borough Commander, Bob Darkens, which is attached below.
Commander Darkens sent a further update on 4 December 2019, which is also attached below.
At the beginning of January 2020, Michael met Commander Darkens to discuss policing in the Borough and the challenges that officers are facing. He was assured that the Police are working incredibly hard to catch the criminals responsible for the burglaries.
In December 2020, Michael wrote to Commander Darkens’ successor, , to ask for an update on the latest statistics for burglaries in Surrey Heath. DI James reported that domestic burglaries in Surrey Heath were down 44% for year to date, and exceeded the reduction of 40% for the whole of west Surrey.
In April 2022, Michael will be meeting the new Borough Commander, Gemma Taylor, and he will provide a further update on the latest statistics in due course.
There are certain practical things that residents can do to help deter burglars, and you will find useful tips and advice on measures to help keep your home safe here.
Catalytic convertor theft
While burglary numbers have dropped, it appears that car crime is on the rise and there has been a big increase in the theft of catalytic convertors from vehicles. Michael has discussed how to deal with the issue with the DI Alick James, who confirmed in March 2021 that he had allocated a dedicated officer to review all the related car-crime offences to identify trends and patterns to help inform the police’s patrol plans and investigations.
If you are worried about your catalytic convertor being stolen, measures that can be taken to mitigate the risk of theft can be found here.
Funding and officer numbers
Michael is campaigning for more police officers in Surrey Heath, and has welcomed the Government’s plan to recruit 20,000 additional officers.
In December 2021, it was announced that police forces across the country are set to receive a 7 per cent increase in funding in 2022-23, bringing the total amount to £16.9 billion. There will be an increase of up to £13.3 million for Surrey Police, bringing the total funding of our local police force up to £271.1 million for 2022-23.