Who is Martin Surl?

I was born and brought up in Gloucestershire, where my family has lived for generations.

I am a former senior police officer who has worked in policing and crime reduction across the county and in other parts of the UK for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

For more than 10 years, I worked with Estonia to help it modernise its police service and develop its crime reduction partnerships.
 

I am standing as an Independent candidate and will remain independent of any political party because party politics has no place in policing. Police officers are not allowed to take any part in politics or join a party so it would be wrong for anyone who leads them to do so.

In 1829 Sir Robert Peel said “The public are the police, the police are the public.”
That will be my guiding principle.

We must work together to make Gloucestershire a better place for all of us.

Gloucestershire has six Members of Parliament whom we have elected to represent us in Government. Independence is
 

crucial to crossing political boundaries if we are to rise above petty political point scoring. I will work with all our MPs and put Gloucestershire first.
 

It is for the Chief Constable to get on with operational policing. I will seek the views of local people, including businesses, the voluntary and public sectors. I will do this to make sure the Constabulary is clearly and closely tasked to deliver the things that are most important to us and is held accountable for doing it.

I will be a fair Commissioner who is tough when the situation requires it. I will review the number of senior officers and executive managers, focusing resources on front line