Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received by Mrs Hudson for whom Mr Rayner was substituting, Dr Sturley for whom Mrs Lawes was substituting and Mr Defriend for whom Mr Finch was substituting.

1.    Mr Hook declared that was a barrister and often worked with the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police. He also declared that his wife was a probation officer.

2.    Mr Mallon declared that he was the Chairman of the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority (KMFRA).

3.    It was acknowledged that many Members of the Committee were also Members of the KMFRA.

4.    Mr Rayner declared that he was married to a woman and had two adult daughters.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 May 2026 were a correct record and they be signed by the Chair.

1.    The item was introduced by Richard Palmer, Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, who explained that refreshed Kent Community Safety Agreement was a statutory county- wide partnership document required under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. He explained that the April 2026 refresh replaced the previous 8 priorities with 3 strategic aims to guide community safety work in Kent.

2.    The report was introduced by Shafick Peerbux, Head of Community Safety, and Superintendent Rob Marsh, Kent Police Head of the Force Strategic Prevention Command, who jointly delivered a PowerPoint presentation, the slides for which can be found HERE.

3.    The Chair praised the report for addressing the Committee’s previous requests and providing a clear and detailed overview of community safety across Kent. He also requested it be circulated to all Members as a valuable source of information on the work of Kent Police and partner agencies. Finally, the Chairman reminded Members to focus on the strategic aspects of the Community Safety Agreement and advised that the discussion would be structured around each of the priorities set out in the report.

4.    The Chair welcomed questions from the Committee on Priority 1: Neighbourhood /Environmental Crime and Anti- social Behaviour. Discussion included the following:

a)    Supt Marsh explained that while Kent Police could not monitor all social media platforms, intelligence received from communities and other sources helped identify planned gatherings. He highlighted proactive policing measures, including dispersal orders and enforcement powers, and emphasised that neighbourhood policing teams worked closely with local businesses and communities to minimise the impact of antisocial incidents in coastal areas.

b)    Supt Marsh explained that Kent Police had undertaken a range of pre-planning meetings ahead of the summer period with key partners. He advised that policing plans focused on working with those organisations best placed to help prevent and respond to anticipated issues, although he could not comment on the extent of local councillor involvement in those arrangements.

c)    Supt Marsh advised that partners had planned jointly for the summer period in Thanet, with resources allocated based on previous demand patterns. He emphasised that anti-social behaviour (ASB) was taken seriously and confirmed that proactive measures and robust enforcement powers, including dispersal and arrest where necessary, would be used to address issues.

d)    Supt Marsh outlined the graduated approach taken to tackling ASB, beginning with community protection warnings and escalating to formal notices and, where appropriate, Criminal Behaviour Orders. He reassured Members that the full range of available powers was used where necessary to address persistent offending.

e)    Mr Peerbux explained that, although rail operators were not statutory partners to the Community Safety Agreement, they worked closely with community safety partners, including through local Community Safety Units and tactical meetings. He stated that their inclusion in the Agreement was a matter for the statutory framework rather than local partnership arrangements.

f)     It was added that the partnership agreement was between the statutory partners, but wider organisations were involved in delivering specific work streams. For ASB, Kent Police  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

RESOLVED to note the Work Programme.