Kent’s police and crime commissioner, Matthew Scott, has published his four-year police and crime plan, titled ‘Cut Crime, Support Victims, Build Trust’: these are the goals he has set Kent Police going forward.
The plan is broken down into four priority areas.
Protecting people
It aims to protect people by continuing the increased ‘hotspot patrols’ in areas with higher levels of violence and antisocial behaviour; there will be on-going investment in the specialist units targeting organised crime; new technology will be acquired to communicate with victims; and there will be an increase in proactive interventions for persistent offenders.
Protecting places
The plan promises to protect places by keeping named police officers on beat patrols in local areas, and there will be investment in the Rural Task Force and road safety patrols.
Protecting property
Protecting property will also be a priority. There will be a commitment to visit burglary victims in a timely manner, and the force will adhere to the Retail Crime Action Plan to reduce shoplifting and retail crime and will continue to maintain specialist capability to tackle cybercrime.
Productive partnerships
The plan also focusses on driving forward the productive partnerships that have already been yielding benefits. £4mn will be spent on support provision for people who’ve been victims of crime. The PCC has also pledged to work with the Kent Criminal Justice Board to try to reduce the distressing backlog in the county’s courts and has promised to make sure criminal justice organisations deliver on the promises set out in the victims code.
Scott says:
“Cut Crime, Support Victims, Build Trust is not just a title, it is the core mission for the force going forward. We have made significant progress over the last nine years, but we must continue to improve our service to the people of Kent and those unfortunate enough to become victims of crime. Victims have always been at the heart of everything I do and I will make sure the force investigates those crimes appropriately.”
You can read the full plan on the Office of the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner website.
