Surrey Police to axe buildings and send officers into the streets

The authority have encouraged CC Rowley to simplify the structure of the institution in light of their financial challenges caused by their reduced government budget this year.

The police hope the money saved by axing buildings will allow them to recruit 200 extra front line bobbies, who will spend more time roaming the streets tackling crime.

CC Rowley said: "Many police buildings are little-used by members of the public but there will be no changes to police stations until better locations for meeting neighbourhood teams have been put in place.

"Replacing old stations with better ways to meet the public will cut the cost of running our old buildings by millions of pounds and help pay for the 200 extra police constables on the frontline."

The police are hoping to liaise with local councils to allow policemen to set up desks in their offices, such as has been piloted in Addlestone with Runnymede Council, and they are looking at setting up meeting points in shopping centres and libraries.

Chief constable Rowley said: "We are determined to put the Surrey public first and give them the increases in visible policing they demand - even in a recession. We have difficult choices to make.

"We can either refuse to change and be forced to cut officer numbers and carry on with a complicated policing structure with lots of managers and bureaucracy and numerous inaccessible old, expensive buildings, - or have 200 more police constables working out of accessible buildings."

Chief constable Rowley said the old stations are not really visited by members of the public, and believes the higher street presence could cut down on border crime and organised criminals, but added it would take a few months to put in place.

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