Meet the New ‘Maidstone Task Force’

A brand new Maidstone Task Force, made up of Police Officers working alongside Maidstone Borough Council’s Community Protection Team and other partners to tackle crime, social deprivation and health inequality issues within Maidstone has been set up.

The Force will help identify and tackle crime hot spots and trends, helping to identify vulnerability, providing protection and support to local communities where necessary. They will focus on different geographical areas which will be identified using data held by Kent Police and partner agencies and through utilising evidence from the local Strategic Assessment.

The new team will initially focus on Shepway, building relationships within the local community and helping to reduce crime in the area.

Martyn Jeynes, Community Protection Manager at Maidstone Borough Council said:

“We put partnership at the heart of everything we do, and it’s working! We want to ensure Maidstone is a place where people feel safe and are safe. We are really looking forward to working with local communities to help understand their concerns and to utilise the strengths from within those communities and with the combined strengths of the Task Force, bring about sustainable positive changes.“The Maidstone Task Force will be supported by many other agencies, such as the Kent Violence Reduction Unit and Kent County Council Children Services. Working with local services within our focus areas, such as religious groups, charities and support services, we want to address those issues that increase crime and deprivation and drive health inequalities.”

Kent Police Maidstone Task Force Sergeant Tony Nolan said:

“There is a solid Community Safety Partnership in place in Maidstone and the Task Force provides an opportunity to focus our combined resources to get under the skin of issues that have plagued some of our communities for decades.  We want to work with those communities to make changes that will not only protect the vulnerable now but will protect generations to come.”

Stephen Timms, Community Safety Lead at Golding Homes said:

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with MBC and Kent Police on this task force, we want our communities to be places where people can thrive and we believe this task force can help to make a real positive difference to people.”

The Task Force will be governed by an Executive Board consisting of senior leaders from statutory bodies and commissioned services and joint chaired by the Chief executive of Maidstone Borough Council Alison Broom and the West Kent Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Robert Fordham.

To see a film of the new Task Force click on the YouTube link: https://youtu.be/uXW19hu1FYE

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