SURREY Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro praised the progress made by the force in the recent report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), following its annual nationwide inspection into ‘Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy’.

Surrey improved its previous HMIC rating from ‘requiring improvement’ to ‘good’ in both the efficiency and effectiveness strands, while also maintaining its ’good’ rating for legitimacy.

HMIC inspector Zoe Billingham concluded: “In summary, I am heartened by the progress that the force has made in providing a good service to the people of Surrey, but there are some aspects where I would like to see improvement.”

Mr Munro said: “Although great progress has been made, there is always more to do to make Surrey a safer place for the people that live and work here.

“I am committed to working with the Chief Constable to ensure we maintain our current course and address those areas such as the investigation of less serious crime and developing its understanding on changing demand.”

• Surrey Police has appointed Nev Kemp assistant chief constable, overseeing local policing for Surrey, criminal justice and contact management.

Formerly Sussex Police Chief Superintendent responsible for Brighton and Hove, he served with Sussex for 22 years in a range of uniform and detective roles, including head of crime and counter terrorism operations and head of crime investigations. In 2012, he was promoted to lead the protecting vulnerable people branch.

Deputy Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said: “The high quality calibre of the candidates made the choice a difficult one but the selection panel agreed that Nev was an outstanding candidate for the role.

“We’re really looking forward to him starting his role with us on Monday, May 8.”