The Surrey Police and Crime Panel met to elect a chair, discuss the annual report, review the Police and Crime Plan, and re-establish sub-committees. Councillor John Robini, Waverley Borough Council representative, was elected as chair of the panel. The panel also discussed the Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) annual report, progress on the Police and Crime Plan, and the HMICFRS report on Surrey Police's integrity arrangements.

Election of Chair and Vice-Chair

Councillor John Robini, Waverley Borough Council representative, was elected Chair of the Police and Crime Panel for 2025-26. The election of the Vice Chair was deferred to a later date.

Re-establishment of Committees

The panel re-established the Complaints Sub-Committee and the Finance Sub-Group. The Complaints Sub-Committee is responsible for informally resolving non-criminal complaints about the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner or Deputy PCC, as well as criminal complaints or conduct matters that are referred back to it by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The Finance Sub-Group monitors and reviews the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner's budget proposals, including the proposed precept, and makes recommendations to the panel as appropriate.

Surrey Police and Crime Panel Annual Report 2024/25

The panel was asked to approve the Surrey Police and Crime Panel Annual Report 2024-25, which is required as part of the Home Office Grant Agreement¹. The report summarises the panel's work over the past year, including its scrutiny of the PCC, handling of complaints, and review of the precept and Police and Crime Plan.

Update on the Police and Crime Plan 2025/28

The panel received an update on the new Police and Crime Plan for Surrey, which was published in April 2025. The plan sets out the strategic vision for policing in the county, structured around five central priorities:

• Back to Basics Policing
• Protecting Vulnerable People in Surrey
• Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls
• Strengthening Safe and Resilient Communities
• Fostering Integrity, Accountability and Wellbeing in Policing

The update highlighted several initiatives aligned with the plan, including the Safer Redhill initiative², the development of a new Eastern Divisional Headquarters in Leatherhead³, and the launch of the Surrey Community Safety and Prevention Board.

The panel also received a report titled Keeping Town Centres Safe which outlined intended activity to tackle anti-social behaviour, retail crime and street crime between 30 June and 30 September 2025, making use of hotspot policing funding and other available powers. Based on available data, local intelligence, and resourcing, the collective efforts will be focused on the following town centres:

• Guildford (Guildford Borough)
• Dorking (Mole Valley)
• Caterham (Tandridge)
• Epsom (Epsom and Ewell)
• Walton-on-Thames (Elmbridge)
• Reigate (Reigate and Banstead)
• Farnham (Waverley)
• Woking (Woking Borough)
• Camberley (Surrey Heath)
• Staines-upon-Thames (Spelthorne)
• Addlestone (Runnymede)

HMICFRS Report on Integrity Arrangements in Surrey Police

The panel received an update on the HMICFRS report into the effectiveness of integrity arrangements in Surrey Police. The inspection assessed Surrey Police's effectiveness in three key areas: vetting, professional standards, and counter-corruption. The force received the following graded judgments:

• Vetting of police officers and staff: Requires Improvement
• Upholding standards of professional behaviour: Requires Improvement
• Tackling potential corruption: Good

The Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, released a statement acknowledging that Surrey Police has been falling short in achieving the highest standards of professional behaviour and that urgent improvements are needed. She stated that she would be closely scrutinising the force in the coming weeks and months to ensure that the recommendations highlighted in the report are made in full.