Agenda item

1.    The Kent Police and Crime Commissioner introduced the report and said that the Kent Police’s Neighbourhood Policing (NHP) Model was launched in June 2023 and consisted of:

·         Beat Officers

·         Neighbourhood Taskforces (NTF)

·         Child-Centred Policing Teams (CCPTs) and

·         Strategic Prevention Command (including a Prevention Hub and the Rural Task Force).

2.    The Model was a substantial change for the force and was based on the rationale of boosting visibility and cutting crime in local communities while making financial savings.

3.    The Model was based on meeting need and demand in local communities; over 200 Police Officers were posted into local neighbourhoods, with the allocation of other resources determined by local Chief Inspectors. Every Kent District now had its own task force.

4.    Other developments included increasing the size of the Rural Task Force (RTF) by adding PCSOs, and a centralised anti-social behaviour hub. The rollout of the NHP Model was nearly complete; there were still a few PCSO posts that needed to be filled.

5.    In terms of the benefits that had been realised through the NHP Model, the volume of engagement with communities had risen dramatically. Between July and October 2024, neighbourhood officers recorded attendance at:

·         703 engagement events

·         672 meetings

·         144 surgeries

·         792 school or youth visits and

·         92 Parish Council meetings.

6.    In addition, with support from the Office of the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), the force had been allocated £1,5million from the Home Office Hotspot Response Fund to combat ASB and serious violence.

7.    In answer to a question about how the Government’s requirement to recruit more neighbourhood police officers would affect Kent’s NHP Model, the Commissioner said he was awaiting the precise allocation, but based on the funding formula, he estimated an allocation of about £2.5million, which equated to about 30 to 35 officers or PCSOs. He also highlighted that the Government commitment would require the force to move officers and Special Constables into NHP roles.

8.    In reply to a question about how the £7.1million savings from the implementation of the NHP Model had been realised, the Commissioner explained this was primarily through a reduction in PCSO numbers.

9.    A Panel member asked a question about how the force tackled anti-social behaviour in town centres.

a.    The Commissioner replied that there was a problem-solving plan in place to address those issues which was based on additional patrol visibility and the power to use dispersal orders.

10. A Panel member paid tribute to the Gravesend Safe and Free Environment (G SAFE) partnership for their outstanding work on tackling theft, violence and anti-social behaviour in the local community.

11. The Commissioner reported that, in the last quarter, there had been an increase of 3.3% in shoplifting offences compared to the same period in 2023. However, in the same period, 250 more suspects were interviewed, equating to a 22% increase, and 24% more people were charged. There was also a 41% increase in out-of-court disposals.

RESOLVED: To note the contents of the report and require a further update in Autumn 2025.