Local News

Runnymede PCSO Tilson recently held a Meet the Beat session at the Royal Holloway University Library and engaged with staff, students and the security team. Meanwhile, PCSO Maraucci has been engaging with local businesses regarding crime prevention.

Our rural crime team are continuing work to prevent individuals who exploit our local wildlife, environment and communities, and who put those who live and work in the countryside under threat. The team runs several different events, such as saddle marking events, and proactive days of action like Operation Rancher. This operation was established at the end of 2025 in West Surrey to combat plant theft but has now been rolled out Force wide as it's a crime which is a cross-border issue. Since the launch of this operation, we have recovered: 5 stolen ATVs; a collection of stolen tools; and a stolen excavator.

The traditional image that comes to mind when thinking of poaching is an individual with a dog trespassing onto someone else's land to shoot a rabbit or a pheasant for food. This is no longer the case. Poaching in our countryside isn’t just wildlife crime - it’s organised and tied to serious criminality. Poachers often operate in groups, using 4x4s, dogs, firearms and other weapons to target wild animals such as hares, rabbits, pheasants, fish, partridges, and grouse. These crimes usually happen late at night or in the early hours, and many involved are also connected to drug dealing, theft, and violent offences. Another common part of modern poaching is the use of catapults as weapons. Do not confront poachers. They can be armed and unpredictable. Instead, note vehicle details, locations, times, and descriptions of those involved. If you see suspicious activity or suspect poaching is taking place, call 999 immediately. Fast reporting gives us the intelligence we urgently need to protect Surrey’s wildlife and rural communities.

The Dead Slow campaign was launched by the British Horse Society ten years ago. It was created to help everyone understand how to safely approach and pass horses on the road. 

Simple actions include slowing down to maximum of 10mph; be patient, don't sound your horn or rev your engine; pass the horse wide and slowly - put two metres between yourself and the horse. 83% of 'close pass' incidents have occurred because a driver passed by too quickly. 

Our Paedophile Online Investigation team play a vital role in protecting some of Surrey’s most vulnerable children and carry out warrants every week across the county. Just last month, the team put a man behind bars for multiple online child sex offences. Kevin Lawler, 40 (DOB: 04/03/1986), of West Molesey, was sentenced to four years in prison at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday, 9 March, after being found guilty of arranging the commission of a child sexual offence, namely causing a child to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to meet a child, and three counts of making indecent photographs of children. He was also given a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). In June 2025, Lawler engaged with two child profiles online, aged 13 and 14, respectively. Despite it being clear that the accounts were children, Lawler continued to message and went on to describe several sexual acts he wished to engage in. One of these he arranged to meet for sexual activity at a leisure centre in Walton-on-Thames. However, the profile he was speaking to, was an undercover officer deployed to seek out those who incite children into sexual activity, and he was arrested. Investigating Officer Rosie Gudge from Surrey Police’s Online Child Protection Investigation Team, said: “Once we received intelligence about Lawler's online activity, we took swift action to arrest him and seize his devices, and the intended victim was never subject to any physical sexual offence. "The behaviour shown was predatory, so I am extremely pleased with this outcome. "This is a clear demonstration of our policing response to the ever-present online threat posed by predators towards children.”

A 29-year-old man had been sentenced to seven years and two months with a restraining order until further notice, after subjecting a woman to repeated domestic abuse. Ernie Jones, 29 (DOB: 27/12/1996), of Godalming was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on 10 April 2026 for two counts of controlling and coercive behaviour (CCB), actual bodily harm, and stalking with fear of violence. On 20 May 2025, police were called to an address and engaged with a woman, who disclosed eight years of physical and psychological domestic abuse. Between 1 January 2017 and 11 June 2025, Jones engaged in behaviour that was controlling or coercive, causing serious effect to the victim. Throughout this period, the victim was subjected to physical assault on multiple occasions. Jones's behaviour would include punching and kicking the victim in the face, stamping on the victim's head, threatening the victim with a knife, damaging the victim's property, including her phone, verbal abuse, preventing the victim from seeing their children, threatening to take the children away or put them into care and making false reports of child neglect to social services. In an incident on 23 February 2025, Jones assaulted the victim resulting in actual bodily harm. On this occasion, Jones was driving the victim's car, whist she was sat in the passenger seat with their two young children in the back. Following a disagreement over brambles to the side of the road causing damage to the vehicle, Jones began beating the victim whilst stopped at traffic lights. Jones was arrested on 21 May 2025 and released on conditional bail. Between 19 May and 10 June, Jones was in breach of these conditions on several occasions, with repeated unwanted contact amounting to a charge for stalking. Throughout this period, his behaviour - namely including frequent communication, attending family home unannounced, contacting family members and making threats - continued to cause the victim serious distress. Reflecting on the abuse, the survivor shared: "For eight years, I lived under Ernie's control and abuse. This was not a misunderstanding. It was not a handful of isolated incidents. It was a deliberate and repeated pattern of behaviour, choices he made, that slowly and systematically stripped away my independence, my confidence, and my sense of who I was. "I lived in constant fear. Fear of his moods, fear of his reactions, fear of saying the wrong word or making the wrong decision. I was always walking on eggshells. "Over time, I stopped feeling like a person in my own right. I felt like I existed only to serve Ernie, to meet his needs before my own, to keep him calm, to prevent his anger. I felt like a slave in my own life, constantly catering to my partner out of fear of what would happen if I did not. I felt worthless and degraded. "The house we lived in was never truly my home. Instead of feeling safe and settled, I felt like a guest in a place where I had no real security or control. Home should be somewhere you feel safe, protected, and valued. Instead, I felt small, unwelcome, and constantly on edge of when I would next get thrown out. "One of the deepest pains I carry is the impact this has had on my children. They saw the fear in me. They saw my distress. They saw me withdraw emotionally because I was trying to survive. As their mother, that breaks my heart. "This abuse has changed me forever. It has changed my children forever and our lives will never be the same. "Since leaving the relationship, and rebuilding our lives, I have had to create stability for my children while still healing myself and trying to navigate who I am as an individual. It has been exhausting and frightening at times, but I am determined that their future will be different from our past. I am working every day to show them that was not love, that control is not care, and that no one has the right to manipulate another person. "I am determined to heal, rebuild and move forward. But the reality is that the impact of all these years will never fully leave me." "I am truly grateful for the support and dedication shown throughout this case. The efforts of both the police and the outreach team have made a meaningful difference; they have saved me. I am especially thankful for my allocated outreach worker and DA caseworker whose care, commitment, and support have meant so much every step of the way, I don't know what I would have done without them" DC Emily Heath led the domestic abuse investigation and worked with the survivor to achieve the successful outcome. Emily said: “The survivor has shown tremendous courage in reporting the abuse and supporting the investigation throughout. Despite experiencing abusive, violent and intimidating behaviour. "No one should be treated this way in a relationship. I commend her bravery in coming forward and hope she can now begin to rebuild her life after this traumatic experience. "I would also like to recognise the vital support provided to the victim by our Domestic Abuse Caseworker and partner outreach services, whose professionalism, care and practical assistance have helped ensure she has been supported throughout and provided excellent care and advice in navigating a way to re-start her life.” We work closely with local outreach partners to ensure anyone experiencing domestic abuse has the support and guidance they need at this incredibly difficult time. 

Surrey's 35 new cohorts are springing into action! Spring is all about new beginnings, and for these recruits, their Attestation Ceremony on April 2nd marked the biggest one yet. By swearing their oath before a Magistrate, they’ve officially gained their police powers and are committed to keeping Surrey safe. Congratulations to you all!