Last Thursday night, the 'Temporary' Chief Constable of Surrey came to address the Council.
He explained why the the funding settlement for the Force is so unfair. No other force has so much of its crime originating from outside its borders - nearly 50% of crime is imported from London, Kent, Hampshire or the Thames Valley. Surrey has the UK's two largest airports on its borders, M25, M23 and M3 running through it and faces a very real terrorist threat, but is still funded like a rural county constabulary.
What was so refreshing though was his response to Whitehall diktats. He has decided to throw out the targets imposed by the Home Office, but instead concentrating on making Surrey residents feel more secure and tackle the major crimes (not the ones that might allow a swift rise up the league tables). Surrey Police are also gathering intelligence about criminals operating outside of the county in order to be prepared wen they come in.
This appeared to me as Policing as it should be and a very refreshing contrast to the attitude taken in London, where the Met has become the enforcement arm of New Labour. I very much hope our Temporary Chief Constable becomes a permanent one.
