The Surrey Police and Crime Panel met on Thursday 24 September 2026 to discuss the commissioning of services, the Police and Crime Commissioner's response to the HMICFRS PEEL report, workforce planning, and the medium-term financial forecast. Key decisions included noting the HMICFRS response and approving the workforce planning update, while also discussing the significant financial challenges facing the force.

Commissioning of Services

The panel received a verbal report on the commissioning responsibilities of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC). The OPCC has a commissioning budget of over £6 million, used to prevent crime, reduce crime, support victims, and strengthen communities. This budget supports over 50 services and projects annually, including those related to serious violence and the implementation of the serious violence strategy. Funding streams include the community safety fund, a fund for children and young people, a fund for reducing reoffending, and the Police and Crime Commissioner's core budget.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Lisa Townsend, highlighted the success in securing additional funding for Surrey through competitive bids, bringing in over £12 million. A bid for nearly £4 million to the Home Office for the Steps of Change initiative, aimed at delivering perpetrator interventions, was awaiting an outcome on 6 October. This initiative seeks to expand provision with increased support for young people affected by stalking and young victims of domestic abuse.

Daisy Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC), presented on the services provided by her organisation, which receives significant grant funding from the OPCC. RASASC supports over 1,000 people annually across Surrey, offering services such as Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs), counselling, group work, and outreach. Anderson emphasised the critical need for specialist support and highlighted the vulnerability of organisations like hers to funding changes, stressing the importance of existing partnerships.

Councillor Raj Haque asked how the OPCC ensures equal accessibility for rural residents and minority groups in services for victims of domestic abuse and hate crime. Lisa Townsend explained that demographic data is collected to understand service access, and bespoke services, such as the Trust Project for ethnic minority communities affected by domestic abuse, have been developed. She also noted the funding of a rural Independent Domestic Violence Advisor embedded within Surrey Domestic Abuse Services to specifically target the needs of survivors in rural communities.

Concerns were raised about the potential impact of police reform and the abolition of PCCs in 2028 on the continuity of these vital services. The PCC stressed the importance of ensuring that the £6 million commissioning budget in Surrey remains locally focused and continues to support victims.

Police and Crime Commissioner's Response to the HMICFRS PEEL Report

The panel discussed the PCC's response to the His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) PEEL report on Surrey Police's effectiveness, efficiency, and legitimacy. Lisa Townsend explained that the response grouped areas for improvement into thematic workstreams to address interconnected issues and root causes rather than isolated symptoms. She assured the panel that priority is given to areas directly affecting public services and victims, including demand, workforce capacity, and the quality of investigations.

The panel noted that the PEEL report was published nearly a year prior to the meeting, and significant changes, including the implementation of a new operating model called Opsolve, had already occurred. Councillor Mike Smith inquired about the assurance that Opsolve would resolve issues such as backlogs in child abuse and sexual offence investigations. Townsend confirmed that improvements were already being seen, with Phase 1 of Opsolve implemented and Phase 2 focusing on redesigning services. She highlighted the reorganisation of teams dealing with child sexual abuse to better manage demand and improve victim focus.

Concerns were also raised about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in crime assessment and management. The PCC confirmed that robust safeguards were being applied, with ongoing discussions nationally and locally regarding ethical governance. A staff survey was planned to assess the impact of organisational change, and the force was actively working on improving its equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) strategy.

Workforce Planning

The panel received an update on Surrey Police's workforce planning, focusing on the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. It was reported that Surrey Police had met its overall workforce target for the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with plans to further increase officer numbers through the movement of Uniform Proactive Team officers into Neighbourhood Enforcement Teams. The report detailed establishment and vacancy figures for various police ranks, noting that while overall officer numbers were healthy, there were specific challenges with vacancies in East and West Surrey.

The issue of posting restrictions, affecting 14% of the officer workforce, was discussed, with explanations provided for why these restrictions do not always mean an officer is unavailable for work. The panel also heard about recruitment and retention challenges, particularly for contact centre staff, and the healthy pipeline of officers progressing through investigative development pathways.

Medium-Term Financial Forecast

The panel reviewed the Medium-Term Financial Forecast (MTFF) for 2027/28 to 2029/30, which indicated a potential savings requirement of at least £8.1 million over the period. The forecast highlighted significant financial risks, including potential reductions in grant funding, the cost of police reform, and the impact of local government reorganisation on council tax collection rates.

Kelvin Menon, Chief Financial Officer for the OPCC, explained that pay, which constitutes approximately 80% of the force's costs, was a major driver of financial pressure. He noted that while savings had been historically delivered, it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so, potentially requiring more drastic action in the future. The forecast assumed a council tax increase of £14 for Band D properties for the next two years, followed by a 2% increase.

Concerns were raised about the impact of rising fuel costs and the potential for funding restrictions on local community safety partnerships and anti-social behaviour initiatives. Menon acknowledged that there were no guarantees for maintaining funding for these initiatives, as it depended on the overall funding available and the ability of successor councils to maintain support.

PCC Forward Plan and Key Decisions

The panel noted the PCC's forward plan and a log of key decisions taken since the last meeting. The PCC highlighted upcoming decisions related to the abolition of the PCC role, local government reorganisation, police reform, and funding for commissioned services as presenting the greatest risks and public interest.

Complaints Received and Recommendations Tracker

The panel noted the report on complaints received against the PCC since the last meeting, with two complaints being disapplied due to being oppressive or an abuse of process. The panel also reviewed the recommendations tracker and forward work programme, noting that the formal Surrey Police response to the PEEL inspection was still to be published and would be a substantive agenda item for the next meeting.

The next meeting of the Surrey Police and Crime Panel was scheduled for Thursday, 26 November 2026, with an informal meeting with the Chief Constable planned for Wednesday, 14 October 2026.