Surrey Police makes ‘significant progress’ in responding to calls for service
Surrey Police has had its causes of concern lifted by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
These related to the need to make improvements in how the force responds to incidents, and how it responds to calls from the public, following an inspection in December 2023.
HMICFRS has informed the force that the causes of concern it previously raised have now been addressed and closed.
Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Grahame said: “Serving the public is at the heart of everything we do. When the causes of concern were first raised, we were clear about what they meant. They told us that we weren’t always delivering the level of service the public should rightly expect.
“These reforms have led to real improvements for the people we serve, and they are improvements that every member of Surrey Police has contributed to.”
Surrey’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) Lisa Townsend said she was “delighted with the dramatic improvements” Surrey Police has made since the 2023 PEEL review.
In December 2023 HMICFRS gave several recommendations around answering emergency calls quickly enough and reducing the number of abandoned calls to police in order to improve how the Force responds to the public.
Non-emergency calls via 101 are now answered three minutes faster than a year ago. 101 call abandonment rates have dropped dramatically from 36 per cent to seven per cent, and it now takes on average just 12 seconds to answer a 101 call, down from 3.4 minutes in December 2024. In addition, 999 calls are now answered in two seconds rather than five, handled faster, and the call abandonment rate has reduced to just two per cent.
HMICFRS also gave recommendations around Surrey Police attending calls for service in line with published attendance times, and effective supervision in the control room, in order to improve how the force responds to incidents.
Surrey Police said the provision of supervisors and public call takers was increased, and existing systems used to place resources more effectively against demand. The previously separate force Control Room and Contact Centre were merged into the force Command Centre, working out of the same location.
A new call grading system for triaging and responding to calls was also implemented. These allow for attendance within 20 minutes for the most serious incidents, to 24 hours for scheduled appointments.
On average officers now attend the most serious calls for service within 13 minutes, seven minutes faster than the agreed 20-minute standard. Calls for service within one hour are met within 32 minutes, and over the last 12 months the Force has hit its published attendance times for each call grading every month.
Ms Grahame said, “These are not just statistics. They represent real people receiving help more quickly; victims feeling heard; vulnerable individuals getting a timely response; and communities gaining confidence in their local police.
“Having the causes of concern lifted is a significant achievement, but it is not the end of the journey. The public’s expectations continue to rise, and so do ours. Our responsibility now is to maintain this level of service, continue to learn, and keep improving.”
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Inspector Roy Wilsher, who has responsibility for Surrey Police, said: “I am pleased that Surrey Police has made significant progress in these areas since we raised these causes of concern.”
Ms Townsend said: “It is fantastic news that the average waiting time for a 999 call in Surrey is now just two seconds, and that the force is the second-fastest in the country to answer these emergency calls.
“These changes are not only significant, but sustained. The force’s progress continues to this day.
“I know from speaking to residents that being able to get hold of Surrey Police when you need them is absolutely vital and a call into our contact centre can be a matter of life or death.
The PCC added: “Since I recruited Chief Constable Tim De Meyer three years ago, a key priority for both us was making sure that when the Surrey public needed police, they receive the quick and effective response they rightly expect.
“I’d like to thank every officer and member of staff who has worked tirelessly to achieve this turnaround and deliver the results we are seeing for Surrey’s residents.
“Their efforts make a real difference to those facing some of the most challenging moments of their lives.”