Kelly Tolhurst, MP for Rochester and Strood, has praised the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposals to increase police officer numbers across the county.
Kent Police has been among the top-rated Forces in the country following independent inspections for efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy in 2016 and 2017. All bar one have been rated “Good” or “Outstanding” in every assessment.
Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Scott, has now laid out proposals to empower the Chief Constable to recruit up to 200 additional police officers in the next year. These will go into boosting a number of areas, including rural and roads policing, local communities, fighting cyber-crime and providing greater public protection, and will take the total number of Police Officers in Kent to its highest level since 2012.
The proposals also include plans to boost the number of call handlers answering 999 and 101 calls, so that people can get help quicker and more information can be provided to the Police, as well as a new online reporting service.
The proposals will be funded by savings from non-frontline areas of the force and a requested residents’ contribution of £1 per month.
On the proposals Kelly said,
“The Police and Crime Commissioner’s ambitious proposals are extremely welcome at a time Medway residents need reassurances that we can properly fight antisocial behaviour, organised crime and domestic abuse.
“Perhaps most importantly, victims will also now receive and improved service when they have been subject to crimes that require more meaningful support which is something our forces have sometimes lagged behind in over the years.
“I have always considered Kent Police to be amongst the best in the country and to be boosted in frontline numbers within the year will ensure our streets will be safer and offer residents something back for the hard-earned taxes they pay.”