How did we cut crime in parts of Canterbury by over 90%?
Or reduce some offences in Maidstone town by 40%?
Let me introduce to you the Problem Solving Taskforce, who are #MakingKentSafer.
The Chief Constable and I shared a desire for a proactive team to prevent crime and take a different approach to hotspot areas.
Using your council tax, new Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were put into a team of 24.
The team uses the OSARA principles – objective, scanning, analysis, response and assessment.
The model assumes that by identifying and understanding the root causes of a problem or conditions that enable it to persist, the solution developed to tackle it will be effective.
Once areas have been identified, they work with our local Community Safety Unit officers and partners to take enforcement action and make environmental improvements.
They also provide visible policing in areas where long term embedded problems have persisted.
1. ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป
Local residents raised concerns about parts of Maidstone town centre and nearby parks. The team achieved:
โข 33% โฌ๏ธ in sexual offences
โข 50% โฌ๏ธ in calls to Brenchley House
โข 40% โฌ๏ธ in reported crime in Brenchley Gardens
โข 75% โฌ๏ธ in reported crime at Maidstone Rail Station
2. ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐
โข 84% โฌ๏ธ in St Stephens Ward
โข 89% โฌ๏ธ in offences reported on the Uni Campuses
โข 93% โฌ๏ธ in crime in Wincheap
โข 92% โฌ๏ธ in crime in Sturry Road Ward
โข 77% โฌ๏ธ in Assaults
โข 86% โฌ๏ธ in Drug calls
3. ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น
Resident Perception Survey responses clearly indicate that increased presence in the area gave residents more confidence to report incidents.
Over time, the team achieved a โฌ๏ธ of 26% in demand.
This team is available to deploy across the whole county and has achieved great things since itโs launch in February 2021.
Hereโs to its continued success!
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