Kent Police serves a population of 1.65 million, residing in the county with the same name. The force also polices Medway, the neighbouring unitary authority. The current headquarters for the force are at London Road in Maidstone, in close proximity to Kent Police College. The force employs a total of 3,640 officers, 306 Special Constables and over 200 Police Community Support Officers. There are also a further 2,255 police support staff employed by the force. Michael Fuller is the Chief Constable. He has held this position since 2004 and enjoys the distinction of being the first black person to do so in the United Kingdom.
Kent Police Force also uniquely incorporates the only police station outside of the United Kingdom in Coquelles, France. This is due to the location of the Channel Tunnel.
History of the Kent Police Force
The Kent County Constabulary, as it was then known, was formed on the 10th January 1857. It was then led by Chief Constable John Henry Hay Ruxton, a former army man, who served in this position for the next 37 years. The first headquarters were based at Wrens Cross in Maidstone, now used by Kent County Council, before being relocated to its present site at London Road.
The force initially included the larger towns of Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone, Gravesend, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and the Isle of Thanet, including Margate and Ramsgate. The remaining existing 14 police forces within the county, including Hythe, Faversham and Deal were all amalgamated into Kent County Constabulary by 1943.
The police officers initially wore a Frock Coat and high hat, then a long tunic and Shako hats, as part of the uniform. The force later used the more recognisable ‘bobbies’ helmet in 1897. For defence the serving police officers were issued with a staff or truncheon, and a rattle to attract assistance, which was later replaced by the more identifiable whistle in 1885.
When Kent County Constabulary was initially formed, for each of the divisions a Superintendent was employed. Each superintendent was duly issued with a horse and cart as a mode of transport, and this was commonly used for such tasks as transporting prisoners around the then mainly rural county. A constable was especially employed to take care of the horse and cart, and to ride it in the Superintendent’s absence. These officers were officially instated as Groom Constables in 1884. Bicycles were also a common mode of transport for its officers, especially around the turn of the century, along with motorbikes in 1930. The first police car was introduced to the force in 1931. Bess, the last horse employed by Kent County Constabulary, died in 1943.
By 1965, Kent County Constabulary employed nearly 2000 officers, at the time becoming the third largest British county force. In the 1990s, Kent County Constabulary was renamed Kent Police, becoming the last force to retain ’county’ in its official name.
Kent Police Force Today
Kent police force is now split into six divisions. These are North Kent, to include the towns of Dartford and Gravesend; South Kent which includes Folkestone and Ashford; East Kent to include Canterbury and the Isle of Thanet; West Kent to include Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge; Mid Kent to include Maidstone and the Isle of Sheppey; and the Medway towns of Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester. The crime figures vary from district to district, although the generally more rural divisions, such as Mid and West Kent, enjoy lower crime rate level than the more urban divisions (such as North Kent and Medway). The figures do also fluctuate with the influx of tourists to the many seaside resorts within the county, such as Margate and Ramsgate in East Kent. There is also the evidence of some crime ‘overspill’ from neighbouring Greater London, especially around Dartford and Gravesend. The county does also have its fair share of national issues, such as drug problems and anti-social behaviour, which the force is aiming to tackle as part of its three year strategy, which is noted later.
Due to the county’s position and proximity to the Channel Tunnel, the force is constantly kept busy with the associated cross channel traffic passing through the county to and from the Tunnel site near Folkestone. The usual heavy traffic can lead to Kent Police liaising with the Highways Agency, where they will jointly enforce ’Operation Stack’ which helps in controlling the flow of freight on the M20, closest to the main ports.
Due to the county’s busy road network, which includes four major motorways, Kent Police employs a Strategic Road Network, the largest of any force in the country.
Kent Police now have in place a three year strategy to improve their service for the people of Kent. The strategy is in place to build public confidence and public satisfaction and to improve their visibility and access. The force also plans to improve their tackling of crime and anti-social behaviour throughout the county; by ensuring a high detection rate and tackling repeat victimisation and offending.
The next important mission for the force’s strategy is to protect the public by developing their Protective Services capability and thus protecting the public from both serious and organised crime. They also aim to make the county’s roads safer. By initiating and making these improvements within the next three years, Kent Police aim to become one of the top ten forces in the country, and the top two of most similar forces in the country.
The force is very proud of the Kent Police Band, which was formed by a group of serving officers wishing to put a brass band together to represent both the force and the county back in 1977. The band has performed in front of various members of the Royal family, including the Queen, and at 10 Downing Street for the Police bravery awards ceremony. The Kent Police band has travelled throughout the country, as well as performing in the United States and many Western European Countries. The band now consists of both serving and retired police officers, as well as civilians, and is currently directed by John Groves.
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