COTSWOLD Profile On the beat
When Martin Surl bought a website and Twitter account for a job that didn’t exist, the fact that one day he would have that job as Gloucestershire’s first Police and Crime Commissioner, was no more than a tiny glimmer of ambition. He told Sue Smith what prompted him to part with all of £29 for the website.
OUR new commissioner is a canny chap. As we sit in his lovely home in Birdlip he talks about how he bought the once unimposing property with his wife Elizabeth in 1990 because it was in a nice village and close to a primary school for his two little boys. Although the house wasn’t much to look at
then he saw it had potential so he bided his time until the opportunity to buy some bargain bricks arose and he extended it bit by bit until it became the spacious family home they now enjoy. It was that sort of shrewd foresight that
prompted him while he was working in the Police force in London several years ago to buy the website
policecommissioner.net and a Twitter account. “I saw there was a piece of legislation going
through for Police Commissioners for the UK and I thought it sounded like an interesting job,” says Martin. “So I bought the website. I thought it would
be a good one to have and anyway, I told myself, I could always get my £29 back and sell it on,” he says with a smile. Later when he retired from the force and
was taking stock of the future, the announcement was made that 41 PCCs would be appointed in the UK and Wales. “I was very tired when I first left the force
and I wanted time to reflect. But after a while I was starting to become bored. “When the opportunity came up, I thought
why not? Why not me? I also didn’t like the idea of the role being political so I decided to stand as an independent,” he says. As retirement from the Police service is
relatively young, Martin wasn’t quite ready to spend his days dead-heading the roses in his garden. He likes to relax watching Formula 1 racing
and enjoys taking long walks with his Dalmatian Dominic but he was also driven by a need to continue in public service. Again there was some speculation involved
in the form of a serious financial outlay this time to stand for election. “Some people around me joked it was
cheaper than therapy,” he said. So he went ahead full of hope but with
varying degrees of confidence. “I thought I could win but I
didn’t always think I would win,” says Martin. “But once I made up my
mind to do it I was determined to fight for it all the way. I wasn’t not going to get it through lack of effort.” He bought a trailer and set
out campaigning only to find most of the country fairly apathetic about the impending role. “I soon learned that many
people are tired of politics but when they realised I wasn’t political they became more responsive,” he says. “I wasn’t standing just because there was a
job called Police Commissioner,” he says. “I had to believe in it and I did.” In November 2012 Martin was elected for
the county and has been steadfastly working since then to try and reduce crime and create more peace and good order. And he is passionate about making
Gloucestershire a safe and pleasant place to live and in getting a better deal for young and old alike. “We need sensitive, relevant and effective
policing to ensure young people become law- abiding members of society. “And older people also need to remain an
active part of our communities. “ “The Police service should not be focused
just on catching people. “Our Police force reflects our society of the
time. It has a bigger influence on people’s lives than we think and although we are facing huge challenges at the moment with savage cuts, we have to make the best of it.” It was Martin’s desire to be on the “winning
side” that drew him to the force as a 23-year- old.
He had seen the world working as a waiter
on cruise ships and he wanted to make a difference. He rose through the ranks from a bobby on
the beat in Stroud to become a Superintendant working in the UK and abroad in policing,
56 COTSWOLDESSENCE | September - November 2013
crime reduction and counter terrorism. In 2000, he was seconded to the Ministry of
Justice in Estonia to help modernise its police service and develop its crime reduction partnerships. At the time there was a high crime and
murder rate in Estonia which has since dropped considerably. “Russians used to turn up at schools with
suitcases full of American dollars,” he recalls. He still retains contact with Estonia and in
2005 was awarded the Order of Merit in recognition of his work to introduce child protection measures into the country. In 2007, he was seconded to the Association of Chief Police Officers, Terrorism and Allied Matters branch (ACPO, TAM) to help set up the UK’s policing anti-terrorism network. With his roots firmly in Gloucestershire - he
was born and brought up in Cheltenham and his great-great grandfather is believed to have owned the first motor car in Tewkesbury - he says he is committed wholeheartedly to doing the best for the county. “There is no job description here but I have
a wonderful opportunity to do some good work,“ he says. And although he believes it will take longer
than the three years allocated to the position to achieve some of his targets before re-election he says he hopes to have done enough for people to realize the importance of the role the next time they are invited out to vote. “In the end it is passion and commitment that will keep me going,” he says.
www.cotswoldessence.co.uk
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