Kevin Hurley speaking at the Caterham Valley Parish Council AGM.

On Tuesday 6th May, Caterham Valley Parish Council held it's Annual General Meeting in The Soper Hall in Harestone Valley Road, Caterham. The Guest Speaker for the evening was Kevin Hurley, the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey.  Kevin gave a very interesting talk about the role he has been in since 15th  November 2012.  He explained how his role involves getting different agencies to work together in partnership, such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the courts, victim support groups, Neighbourhood Watch groups, and local councils to try and make things better in Surrey.

Kevin also helps to establish priorities for the police on behalf of the public. While running for election he spoke to thousands of Surrey residents, who told him they wanted a zero tolerance approach to policing and more visible street policing. Another priority was for the public to have the opportunity to have a greater say in how their streets are policed, so local policing boards are being set up to bring decision making closer to neighbourhoods, enabling the public to have their voice heard.

Despite government cuts to funding, Kevin said that reported crime has gone down by 8% in Surrey in the last year and arrests have gone up by 8%. In order to make efficiencies Kevin explained how a lot of Surrey Police services are now shared with Sussex Police, such as the armed police service, traffic police, the management of police dogs and helicopters.

Kevin said: “Surrey has been very unfairly treated by the government compared to the rest of the country so I will be pushing for more funding. I think Surrey Police and their council partners have done a very good job but everybody needs to play their part in caring for the community, it should not all be left to the police.

“We live in the safest county in the country, so I believe people here should change their attitude towards crime and talk about a 'sense of safety' here in Surrey, not a 'fear of crime'.

Following Kevin's speech the council discussed other topics, including the progress of the Neighbourhood Plan and the donations the council has made during the last year.  Caterham Valley Parish Council were very proud to sponsor prizes in the Caterham Horticultural Society Show, sponsoring the children's categories to encourage youngsters to get green-fingered!  The council also sponsored the kit for the Old Cats Junior Rugby Team and made donations to Crime Stoppers and Victim Support.

The parish councillors are embarking on a project to resurrect the old wooden War Memorial that used to be in St. John's Church. They are currently seeking quotes for a replacement memorial to see how much money will need to be raised.

The meeting finished with everyone present having the chance to chat about the evening's proceedings over drinks and nibbles provided by the parish council.