SURREY Police this week announced changes to the areas covered by the Waverley safer neighbourhood team. After consultation with residents and various groups the boundaries of the areas covered by officers have been altered to help identify the 'natural neighbourhoods' across the borough. The teams, which are made up of neighbourhood specialist officers (NSOs) and police community support officers (PCSOs), each cover a specific part of Waverley. The aim of the teams is to work with residents to identify and tackle important issues to create safer neighbourhoods. These changes mean PC Damion Berridge will no longer be covering Hindhead, Churt and Beacon Hill. These areas are now being covered by PC Rob Hawkes, who also deals with Shottermill, Critchmere and Wey Hill. PC Berridge will instead be covering Elstead and Thursley, as well as keeping up with his old areas of Tilford, Frensham and Dockenfield. There have been no changes to the area policed by PC Ralph Swindell, who is still working in Grayswood, Chiddingfold and Haslemere, while PC Sam Barnett will concentrate on Milford, Witley and Hambledon. In addition to the neighbourhood specialist officers, Waverley will also have an increased number of police community support officers. PCSO Liz Horwell is working with PC Swindell to cover Grayswood, Chiddingfold and Haslemere, while new recruit Jessica Rossiter is working alongside PC Hawkes in Churt, Hindhead and Beacon Hill. A replacement is currently being sought for PCSO Adam Northover, to support PC Hawkes in Wey Hill, Shottermill and Critchmere. Divisional implementation manager Inspector Graham Weaver said: "Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of everything Surrey Police does. "It is about creating safer neighbourhoods, tackling what matters locally and working with partner agencies and local communities to solve problems of crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder. "We have spent a great deal of time looking at the boundaries and creating neighbourhoods which make sense to the people who live within them, although these will be closely monitored over the coming months."
