Police Now officers are playing a vital role in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in Surrey.
Communities nationwide where Police Now officers have been posted for the last 22-months have seen 38,772 fewer incidents of anti-social behaviour compared to the same time period from October 2016 – equivalent to a 14 per cent drop.
Officers on Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme have been working alongside their colleagues within their local neighbourhood teams.
As well as the drop in anti-social behaviour, communities have also seen 14,301 fewer incidents of criminal damage & arson – a fall of 13 per cent. There were 12,460 fewer incidents of burglary – a fall of 16 per cent – and 31,732 fewer incidents of theft, equivalent to a 14 per cent fall.
PC Sami Halepota of Surrey Police won a national Tilley Award for his part in a six-month operation dedicated to safeguarding young people in the community. He pinpoints anti-social behaviour and drug dealing by young people – driven by criminal gangs from London running “County Lines” operations – as one of the most challenging issues he has to deal with. He dealt with one prolific offender carrying out violent drug crimes by securing a Criminal Behaviour Order, identifying the mental health issues and drug dependency at the heart of problem and ensuring sufficient support was in place.
Police Now’s mission is to transform communities by recruiting, developing and inspiring diverse leaders in policing.
Officers on Police Now’s programmes develop skills in leadership and problem-solving. They share a commitment to public service, fighting crime and inspiring social change alongside their colleagues.
Police Now has recruited a total of 1,830 officers across 33 forces in the UK, including Surrey Police. Chief Constable Gavin Stephens has invested in his communities by partnering with Police Now for the past five years, with 67 police constables and 36 detective constables joining the force via this route.
Police Now consistently recruits more officers who are women or from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds compared to any other entry route into policing. Recruitment data shows that of those starting on Police Now’s programmes in Surrey in 2020/21, 21% identified as coming from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background and 54% identified as women.
Speaking about the importance of a diverse police force, PC Halepota said: “A representative police force can build more confidence with different sections of society. This means the police is more connected to the community which trusts us, and so people report more, cooperate with the police more and as a result we understand issues much better and are much more effective at policing.”