Agenda item

The Panel has asked for an update report detailing the allocation of newly recruited officers as a result of the 20,000 uplift, how many officers were in training and how many were ‘on patrol’.

Witnesses:

David Munro - Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    The PCC noted that recruitment numbers were slowly returning to previous levels, recognising pleas from residents who had asked where their Council Tax money was being spent noting that they had not seen police officers on the beat; and explained that the recruitment process took time which the report detailed.

2.    A Panel member asked how recruitment numbers could be increased from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, the numbers were low and as a public service it was important that Surrey Police reflected the population it served.

-       In response, the PCC agreed with the Panel member’s comments and recognised her concern.

-       The PCC noted that in the national league table Surrey Police was doing well in terms of diversity but noted the need to improve further. He welcomed the national focus and Government’s prioritisation of increasing diversity across the nine protected characteristics - under the Equality Act 2010 - including BAME and women.

-       The PCC was confident in Surrey Police’s desire to increase diversity, noting the actions undertaken by the Chief Constable downwards including a special diversity department to try to increase diversity from a multitude of communities who would not normally consider a police career.

-       The PCC was pleased that recruitment was widening but recognised the worry over the narrowing of diversity higher up the ranks. It was vital to both increase recruitment and to ensure that those from BAME communities had equal chance with white peers to get to the highest ranks, with preparing people for final interview panel for example.

-       The PCC noted that the statistics on ethnicity from the 2011 Census were out of date and so hoped for an increase in diversity characteristics nationally and as a county in the 2021 Census.

In response, the Panel member added that it was vital to recruit people from those nine protected characteristics now, to ensure more diversity across the future experienced officers up to highest rank of the Chief Constable.

3.    A Panel member noted that rather than the standard route of advertising to join Surrey Police through social media or the newspapers, there was a need for more lateral thinking to increase recruitment from diverse backgrounds.

He asked whether BAME communities were being utilised by Surrey Police to work with them to provide the path for career development and further asked whether the breakdown of applications by ethnicity could be provided; so by encouraging greater applications from BAME communities that would be translated into more recruits. 

-       In response, the PCC agreed with the need to think laterally by working more closely with people from those communities who would not normally think of joining the police. Once lockdown restrictions eased, face-to-face engagement and recruitment could resume.

-       The PCC responded that a more detailed breakdown of applications by ethnicity could be provided and welcomed ideas to further diversify recruitment.

RESOLVED:

The Panel noted the Surrey Police plans for recruitment and workforce planning.

Actions/further information to be provided:

R6/21 - The PCC will provide a more detailed breakdown of applications to Surrey Police by ethnicity.