Agenda item

For the Panel to raise any issues or queries concerning crime and policing in Surrey with the Commissioner.

Note:

The deadline for Member’s questions is 12.00pm four working days before the meeting (9 September 2021).

See Annex A - Submitted Questions and Responses

Witnesses:

Lisa Townsend - Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    Councillor Paul Kennedy (Mole Valley District Council):

Thanked the PCC for her response and welcomed the PCC’s previous visit to Fetcham and upcoming visit to Bookham.

Regarding the timing of review of the existing Surrey Police CCTV Strategy, he asked when the PCC would be able to share the outcome of the review with Surrey’s District and Borough Councils; asking whether the outcome could be shared before the end of the year.

In response, the PCC noted that:

·         She was not aware of a specific timeline for the review of the Surrey Police CCTV Strategy and so would look into the matter.

·         The use of CCTV remained a long-standing issue and proposed that the Panel may want to look at in more detail going forward.

·         She had discussed CCTV with other PCCs across the country and where it worked best was where local council leaders formulated a joint CCTV plan.

·         The challenge for Surrey Police concerning CCTV was that there was not a uniform CCTV plan amongst Surrey’s District and Borough Councils, formulating one with input from the Panel would help inform Surrey Police and its CCTV Strategy.

-       A Panel member referred to the following sentence in the PCC’s response “about how Surrey Police are taking advantage of new tools and ways to gather information”, and asked to what extent that involved artificial intelligence (AI) such as facial recognition technology and ‘predictive policing’ through algorithms. He welcomed transparency on such tools and information gathering, considering the issue of biased algorithms for example.

-       In response, the PCC noted that the Chief Constable was keen for both Surrey and British policing to be at the forefront of global policing in using the best technology in the right way, the Chief Constable had raised the issue of surveillance technology with the Prime Minister recently and suggested that the issue is raised with the Chief Constable at the informal Panel meeting in October as it concerned operational matters.  

-       A Panel member asked whether the PCC would like to put a formal action on Panel members to seek collaboration from Surrey’s District and Borough Councils on a joint CCTV plan across the county.

-        In response the PCC welcomed Panel members’ support on the issue.

-        The Chairman noted an action for the Panel to consider scrutinising how CCTV could be used effectively in Surrey; looking at the different approaches to CCTV across Surrey’s Boroughs and Districts and other counties.

-        A Panel member noted the importance of Panel members taking a lead on the issue within Surrey’s District and Borough Councils but emphasised that the PCC needed to take a lead on the matter too.

RESOLVED:

The Panel raised issues and queries concerning Crime and Policing in Surrey with the Commissioner.

Actions/further information to be provided:

1.      R32/21 - The PCC will look into whether there is a specific timeline of the review of the Surrey Police CCTV Strategy, so Panel members could share the outcome with Surrey’s Districts and Borough Councils.  

2.      R33/21 - Panel members to consider raising the operational issue of artificial intelligence (AI) such as facial recognition technology and ‘predictive policing’ through algorithms regarding surveillance and CCTV at the informal Panel meeting with the Chief Constable in October.

3.      R34/21 - The Panel will consider scrutinising how CCTV could be used effectively in Surrey.