Antisocial behaviour in Kent: Survey

A study to be carried out by Police and Crime Commissioner

More than 75,000 households in Kent are to be surveyed about how police respond to crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Kent Police and Crime Commissioner (KPCC), Matthew Scott, has commissioned the study in 25 known “hot spots” to see if targeted local patrolling can drive down crime and arrest offenders.

A resealable leaflet has been posted to the addresses with a second class pre-paid return.

The survey contains 12 short questions to gauge the public feeling in those areas.

The commissioner will then send out another survey in a year’s time to assess if targeting those areas with extra police resources has made a difference.

Mr Scott said it will mean “boots on the ground, visible policing”.

He added: “I want to see what residents are thinking, living in those areas. We identified those areas based on the data we have on violent crime and antisocial behaviour.

“So, that’s 75,000 households in Kent and it’s important that we listen to what people say to us.

“It’s really straight-forward stuff. The officers will be out on the beat, visible, responding to incidents and problem solving in order to drive down crime and bring offenders to justice.

“It is easy for organisations to spend money and say they have done the patrolling of hot spots but we need to find out if the residents are feeling the impact of it.”

Residents are to be asked if they feel safe in their areas and to rate their trust in Kent Police.

They will also be asked how often they have seen an officer in their areas.

The penultimate question asks respondents to select up to six crime types they feel requires a greater focus by Kent Police.

These include rape, burglary, fraud, robbery, shoplifting, drugs, hate crime, fly-tipping and rural crime.

A 5% response rate to most surveys is considered better than average and accepted to be an accurate portrayal of the issue being investigated.