Surrey Police in Pc recruitment pledge despite cuts

The body responsible for overseeing policing in Surrey said it plans to recruit 200 police constables by the end of 2011 despite government cuts.

Surrey Police Authority plans to make savings by reducing the number of senior police officers and closing under-used police stations.

The authority agreed its budget for 2011-12 at a meeting on Monday.

Peter Williams, who chairs the authority, said the force had been making radical changes since 2009.

Cost-cutting measures

He said: "Thanks to these changes, we can announce that whilst the amount of government money for policing in Surrey next year will go down, your council tax will stay the same and the number of police constables on your streets will go up."

Surrey Police has been looking at cost-cutting measures after the government said funding would fall by 20% over the next four years.

Senior police officers announced have they will forego their performance bonuses.

In November, it became the first force in England to make some officers with more than 30 years' service retire in a bid to cut costs.

The force is also proposing to close police stations at Godalming, Cranleigh, Farnham and Haslemere as part of a county-wide review.