PCC seeks people's views on police forces merger
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for SurreyPeople are being urged to give their views on plans to merge Surrey Police with its neighbouring forces.
Under government proposals, Surrey Police could disappear and become part of a larger South East "mega force", said Lisa Townsend, Surrey's police and crime commissioner.
She wants residents to fill out a survey, which closes at midnight on 17 August.
The government said it was "determined to restore the public's trust in policing".
Townsend said: "Although the government are drawing the plans up, the public are not being consulted."
Under plans for police reform announced in January, the government intends to scrap the current 43 force system in England and Wales. It would create larger regional forces in their place.
This means Surrey Police would be merged with neighbouring forces that could include Sussex, Thames Valley, Kent and Hampshire.
Townsend has voiced concern at the plans, saying she believes it would result in police resources being pulled away from Surrey communities.
"Police reform is 100% needed, but I don't believe a regional 'mega force' in the South East is the answer," she said.
"Whether you agree with the plans or not, this is a really important decision and I will be sharing the results of this survey with those who are making the decisions around force mergers."
The government said it was committed to the Police Reform White Paper.
A spokesman said: "After years of neighbourhood policing being decimated, we are determined to restore the public's trust in policing by driving down waste, cutting bureaucracy and empowering officers to focus on issues that matter most to their communities.
"This is about having the right police in the right places, strengthening neighbourhood policing, and ensuring that police forces have the capability, leadership and supported needed to keep pace with changing crime."
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