Police and Crime Commissioner: Surrey's candidates

The elections for police and crime commissioners will be held on 2 May

On 2 May voters across Surrey will go to the polls to choose the county's next Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

Since 2012, PCCs have controlled forces' budgets, set their priorities and have the power to hire and fire chief constables.

The vote is being held alongside district and borough elections in areas where those are taking place, with photo ID required to vote in person at polling stations.

Surrey has four PCC candidates for 2024 and we asked each of them to tell us something about their background and ideas.

Kate Chinn is the Labour candidate

Kate Chinn (Labour)

Born and raised in Sheffield, where I trained to be a psychiatric nurse, I moved to London to take up my first post as a staff nurse, initially on the wards, and then as a community psychiatric nurse in Camden. I worked as a nurse for 30 years in the NHS and in the homelessness sector and then moved into social care. I came to live in Surrey in the early 1990s, and this is where I have settled and raised my family.

Working with often vulnerable people, I understand the damaging impact crime has on our communities.

My priorities are bringing back neighbourhood police teams, preventing crime and solving more cases, using empty shops to give every town centre a police presence, cracking down on crimes, particularly violence against women, drug dealing and anti-social behaviour, tackling rural crime, animal cruelty and illegal pet farms.

Alex Coley is an independent candidate

Alex Coley (Independent)

I was born and raised in Surrey and live with my wife and two daughters in Epsom & Ewell. We don’t believe that 75% of women and girls feel safe after dark like the current PCC says.

Since 2018 I’ve been a councillor, with lead responsibilities for the environment, homelessness and crime & disorder. I am a member of the Surrey Police & Crime Panel and the Epsom & Ewell Community Safety Partnership.

I have been a senior police staff manager, I’m an independent adviser to a large police force and I’ve been a cyber security exhibitor at defence events alongside our military. I have also founded a local charity to help people living in deprivation in my borough. We focus on helping vulnerable children.

With 25 years’ experience in the private and public sectors I understand how to get things done.

Paul Kennedy is the Liberal Democrat candidate

Paul Kennedy (Liberal Democrat)

I came a strong second behind the Conservatives in the 2021 PCC elections, with over 112,000 votes across Surrey.

I am uniquely qualified for the role as a former barrister, accountant and actuary, with over 30 years' professional leadership experience in both private and public sectors. For 10 years, I have overseen national public interest bodies on a non-political basis.

I have been a Mole Valley councillor since 2016, initially chairing the audit committee, now representing the district on Surrey's police and crime panel, and cabinet lead for community safety.

I disagree with the current PCC model. If elected I will serve one four-year term only, to focus exclusively on securing a better police service, not campaigning for re-election, and cut the PCC's office budget, scrapping the deputy PCC role, to spend more on frontline community policing.

Lisa Townsend is the Conservative candidate

Lisa Townsend (Conservative)

It has been a privilege to serve as your Police and Crime Commissioner for the past three years.

I have lived in Surrey for over 14 years and really care about our county. I am hoping to be re-elected on 2 May so I can continue to drive the improvements I have been progressing in Surrey Police.

We now have more police officers than ever before in Surrey, and I am working with the Chief Constable on a “back to basics” approach to policing – prioritising what you want as residents, and ensuring the police do what only they can, investigating and solving crime.

I also want to continue bringing in extra money for our county to help support projects and services that prevent crime, tackle anti-social behaviour, and support victims. So far, I have brought in over £10m, every penny of which has been spent supporting residents and communities.

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