News

Peaceful start to the New Year

Released on 14 January 2010

Surrey Heath's community safety partners have been working hard to ensure a peaceful start to 2010.

As part of the borough's Safer Christmas Campaign, Surrey Police and partners took to the streets and shopping malls of Camberley Town Centre during December to help shoppers enjoy a crime-free Christmas and promote personal safety.

More than 600 people benefited from chatting to officers manning a festive crime prevention stand in the Mall on Saturday 19 December. Practical security goods were available, including UV lights and property marking pens, purse theft deterrent bells and reflective arm bands for children.

Throughout the campaign, officers from Surrey Heath's Safer Neighbourhood Team were stationed around the town to keep an eye out for any unlawful behaviour and ensure criminals were made to feel very unwelcome. The activity resulted in 13 arrests for theft offences, of which 10 have so far led to prosecutions.

A test purchasing operation to tackle underage drinking was another strand of the festive campaign and on Saturday 12 December, Surrey Police and Trading Standards visited 13 licensed premises in the town centre. As a result, three local businesses which sold alcohol to the underage customer were each fined £80.

On busy Saturday evenings during the month the Safer Neighbourhood Team set up an alcohol awareness stand in the Atrium to get the attention of weekend revellers, promote the anti drink-drive message and encourage people to enjoy the festive celebrations responsibly. The stand was in support of Drive SMART, the year-long campaign by Surrey Police and Surrey County Council, to reduce anti-social driving in the county.

Surrey Heath Crime Reduction Advisor Debbie Reece said: "This campaign has been very well received and enabled us to help hundreds of shoppers keep themselves safe and crime-free over Christmas. The festive season is a time to relax and let your hair down, but there will always be a few who see it as an excuse to break the law. Surrey Police will not allow a small minority to spoil the celebrations for the law-abiding majority, so we will be continuing our crackdown on anti-social behaviour into the New Year."

A proactive New Year's Eve policing plan across the West Division (Surrey Heath, Woking, Waverley and Guildford) saw extra officers out on the streets in the town centres, with more than 80 uniformed staff providing a visible presence. As a result of the co-ordinated plan, officers made 23 arrests in connection with 17 offences across West Surrey including assault, affray and drink driving. In Surrey Heath, three arrests were made in connection with a public order offence, a person drunk and incapable and a person driving under the influence.