Surrey Police: New chief constable makes mental health pledge

Tim De Meyer was appointed having worked as assistant chief constable at Thames Valley Police since 2017

The new chief constable of Surrey Police has pledged to improve the mental health of his officers.

Tim De Meyer was appointed having worked as assistant chief constable at Thames Valley Police since 2017.

The previous chief constable, Gavin Stephens, departs the force after being elected as the head of the National Police Chiefs Council.

Mr De Meyer said officers must be "at their very best" when dealing with those "at their absolute worst".

"For a relatively modest wage in the south-east of England, police officers and police staff expose themselves to material every day which most people rarely encounter in a lifetime," he said.

"It is perhaps a cliche but people in the police run to things that most right-minded people run away from.

"And it's unsurprising that exposure to that sort of risk can have a harmful effect on an officers mental health."

Mr De Meyer, who began his policing career with the Metropolitan Police in 1997, said he aimed to ensure officers were able to look after themselves.

He added: "If the officer isn't fit, healthy and resilient, she or he isn't able to go and serve you to the best of their ability."

The new chief constable also said he hoped to improve rates of detection for crimes, such as violence against women and burglary.

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