Police: Surrey

This Government is committed to protecting the right to peaceful protest, while ensuring public order legislation balances freedom of expression with protecting the public from serious disruption or harm. Under the Public Order Act 1986 the police have powers to manage protests, and it is for individual forces to determine the most appropriate approach based on the specific context.

The Home Office engaged with Surrey Police and the National Police Coordination Centre in relation to recent protest activity. The National Police Coordination Centre has recently received additional funding to improve its capabilities, including in relation to intelligence gathering and mobilisation to ensure it can properly support police forces in managing public order risks.

The Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of police officers, including during periods of heightened operational demands such as protests. We work closely with policing partners to ensure officers are properly supported. This includes continued funding for the National Police Wellbeing Service, which provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources to forces, supporting Chief Constables in their duty to safeguard the wellbeing of their workforce.