Kent Police
Encyclopedia
Kent Police is the territorial police force
for Kent
in England, including the unitary authority of Medway
.
). The Chief Constable
is currently Ian Learmonth
, who was appointed in 2010 and is the former Deputy Chief Constable
of Norfolk Constabulary
. Prior to Learmonth's appointment, Kent Police was led by Britain's first black Chief Constable, Michael Fuller
QPM.
Because of the channel tunnel
, Kent Police is unique among English forces in having a police station outside of the country, in Coquelles
, France, staffed by Kent officers. Kent Police works with other UK and European forces as part of the Cross Channel Intelligence Community, helping to tackle cross-border crime. The cross channel traffic occasionally causes Kent Police and the Highways Agency
to enforce Operation Stack
, controlling the freight flow on that part of the M20 motorway closest to the ports. Kent also has the largest strategic road network of any force in the UK, covering four motorways.
Proposals made by the Home Secretary
on 20 March 2006 saw Kent Police stay as a standalone strategic force for Kent and Medway; it had been suggested that Kent should merge with another police force. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4825524.stm
Kent Police Authority
has nine councillors (seven from Kent County Council
, and two from Medway Borough Council
), three Justices of the Peace
, and five independent members.
The Port of Dover
maintains its own independent police force, the Port of Dover Police
, however Kent Police has statutory responsibility for policing the entire county and will take over primacy of serious investigations and incidents within the port when appropriate.
Also in 1860, the initial uniform of a frock coat
and a high hat was replaced by a long uniform tunic and shako
hat, and constables were issued with a rattle and truncheon
. In 1885 whistles were introduced, and in 1897 the recognisable custodian helmet
was introduced to the Kent force.
On 1 April 1889, Kent County Constabulary absorbed five of the fourteen other police forces that policed the county of Kent at the time. The remaining nine were absorbed on 1 April 1943. Ruxton retired on 14 August 1894 and died on 20 April 1897.
In terms of mobilisation and communication, Kent Constabulary purchased 20 bicycles in 1896, a number which rose to 129 by 1904. Telephones were given to village police officers in 1925, and by 1930, eight motorcycles had also been introduced, with 19 more bought in 1931 along with one police car. The constabulary still employed horses until 1943, when the last was retired.
In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,988 officers and an actual strength of 1,766, making it the third largest county force in Great Britain.
Kent County Constabulary kept this name until the 1990s, when it changed its name to Kent Police, the last British force to keep the word "county" in its official title. Although still unpopular with many residents of Kent, the change was considered necessary because it was thought that the large number of visitors coming through the channel tunnel and the ports would understand the word "Police" more readily than "Constabulary".
The Kent Police headquarters are currently located at Sutton Road, Maidstone. Kent Police College is located to the rear of the headquarters site.
(Reorganised areas from earlier nine BCU structure to current six BCU structure; this was in response to calls for police force mergers and Kent's argument to remain a strategic stand-alone force.)
Plans have now been released to reduce the six current BCU's in the force into three new Divisions. A timeline for this change has not been announced, but is likely to be late 2011. The new force Divisions will be structured as follows:
Neighbourhood policing will be carried out at a district level with an extra 400 officers transferred into it. Crime investigation and emergency response will be managed at a central level from the Force Command and Communication Centre. Specialist functions will remain centrally managed.
Tazers were introduced to Kent police in 2009 for rank and file officers, although only Response vehicle drivers were issued with them. Each Response vehicle had to be double crewed with both crew members carrying Tazer due to the safety implications, and to allow proper care and control of a Tazed individual.
On April 6, 2011 it was announced that the 3 new areas will each be commanded by a Chief Superintendent and Superintendent. Each individual town within each area will be commanded by a Chief Inspector. There are up to 400 extra officers on neighbourhood patrols now with all emergency response handled from HQ in Maidstone. All response officers will be Standard and Advanced level.
Conversely 200 Special Constables (volunteers) were sworn in the same month.
On June 3 at 9am every officer and member of staff in Kent Police received an e-mail informing them of their future assignments in the aftermath of the budget cuts.
In December 2010, former Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Leppard left Kent Police to take over as Commissioner of The City of London Police, replacing Mike Bowron QPM.
On 22 March 2011 former Kent Assistant Chief Constable David Ainsworth (then Deputy Chief Constable
of Wiltshire Police) was found dead at his home. He had hanged himself.
Essex Police
and Kent Police set up a joint Serious Crime Directorate (SCD) in 2010, to help share intelligence. Kent Assistant Chief Constable Gary Beautridge is also simultaneously the ACC for Media Relations for Essex Police. This has led to speculation that the two forces may merge permanently at some point in the near future.
On December 3rd 2011, ACC Allyn Thomas will retire from Kent Police. It has not been made public knowledge as of October 2011 whether he will be replaced or, in light of the impending budget cuts, Kent Police will downgrade from 4 ACCs to 3.
documentary Coppers
highlighted the work of the Kent force in two of its episodes. Episode 1 showed the work of the officers and staff at Medway's custody suite and episode 3 showed the force's call centre at Maidstone and the emergency response officers in Medway BCU.
. Officers investigated the theft of £53m, with six men being sentenced to a total of 156 years imprisonment.
In June 2007 Anne Sanderson was shot dead by an armed officer in Sevenoaks, Kent after being seen with what was later identified as a ball bearing gun. It was the first fatal shooting of a woman by UK Police in 27 years (and first time ever that the shooting was deliberate). A subsequent IPCC investigation and an inquest jury returned a verdict of lawful killing.
lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty, and since its establishment in 1984 has erected over 38 memorials to some of those officers.
The following members of Kent Police are listed on the Roll of Honour:
S/Insp George Moore, SC John Olive, PWRC Henry Kettle, PC Ronald Parker, S/Sgt Reginald John Rogers, SC Arthur Edward Potten, SC Ernest Albert Farrow, SC Frederick Walter Heine, SC Richard Daniel Jay Wills, PC Cecil George Constable, PMS Edward John Toomey, SC William George Warner, S/Sgt William Albert Bransby, SC George Ernest Russell, PC Sydney Russell, SC Harry Thomas R. Pankhurst, PWRC Frederick Chapman, Sgt William George Braddick, SC Frederick James Collard, PWRC Albert Robert Gibling, SC Robert Wheeler, Sgt William George Dickinson, SC Frederick Johnson
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
for Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in England, including the unitary authority of Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
.
Area and organisation
The force covers an area of 1443 square miles (3,737.4 km²) with an approximate population of 1,660,588 (1,114,100 in Kent, and 249,488 in MedwayMedway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
). The Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
is currently Ian Learmonth
Ian Learmonth
Ian Learmonth is a senior British police officer, currently the Chief Constable of Kent Police.Ian Learmonth was born in Edinburgh in 1958 and is married with children and a grandchild....
, who was appointed in 2010 and is the former Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy chief constable is the second highest rank in all territorial police forces in the United Kingdom , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear...
of Norfolk Constabulary
Norfolk Constabulary
Norfolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the county of Norfolk in England. As of March 2009 the force had a strength of 1,668 police officers, 243 Special Constables, 277 PCSOs and just over 1,300 police staff.-History:...
. Prior to Learmonth's appointment, Kent Police was led by Britain's first black Chief Constable, Michael Fuller
Michael Fuller
Michael Fuller, QPM is the former Chief Constable of Kent Police and was the first black Chief Constable in the United Kingdom.Fuller took up his role as Chief Constable of Kent on 5 January 2004. He joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1975 as a cadet. He has served in uniformed and CID...
QPM.
Because of the channel tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
, Kent Police is unique among English forces in having a police station outside of the country, in Coquelles
Coquelles
Coquelles is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department near Calais in northern France.It is known informally as the town of the Channel Tunnel. The town comprises a shopping centre, hotels and farm in vieille Coquelles , part of the L'Européene autoroute and the Channel Tunnel terminal.The...
, France, staffed by Kent officers. Kent Police works with other UK and European forces as part of the Cross Channel Intelligence Community, helping to tackle cross-border crime. The cross channel traffic occasionally causes Kent Police and the Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
to enforce Operation Stack
Operation Stack
Operation Stack is the name used by Kent Police and the Port of Dover in England to refer to the method of using sections of the M20 motorway in Kent to park lorries when the Channel Tunnel, English Channel or Dover ports are blocked by bad weather or industrial action, or enforced closure due to...
, controlling the freight flow on that part of the M20 motorway closest to the ports. Kent also has the largest strategic road network of any force in the UK, covering four motorways.
Proposals made by the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
on 20 March 2006 saw Kent Police stay as a standalone strategic force for Kent and Medway; it had been suggested that Kent should merge with another police force. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4825524.stm
Kent Police Authority
Police authority
A police authority in the United Kingdom, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area served by a territorial police force or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force...
has nine councillors (seven from Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
, and two from Medway Borough Council
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
), three Justices of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, and five independent members.
The Port of Dover
Port of Dover
The Port of Dover is the cross-channel port situated in Dover, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just away, and one of Europe's largest passenger ports, with 14 million travellers, 2.1 million lorries, 2.8 million cars and motorcycles and 86,000 coaches passing...
maintains its own independent police force, the Port of Dover Police
Port of Dover Police
The Port of Dover Police is a small non-Home Office police service which provides a 24 hour policing service to the Port of Dover, Kent, England.-Organisation & Role:...
, however Kent Police has statutory responsibility for policing the entire county and will take over primacy of serious investigations and incidents within the port when appropriate.
History
On 14 January 1857, a 222-strong Kent County Constabulary was formed under Chief Constable John Henry Hay Ruxton. The first headquarters was at Wrens Cross, Stone Street, Maidstone, and was rented for use by the police until 23 November 1860 where the force purchased it for £1,200.Also in 1860, the initial uniform of a frock coat
Frock coat
A frock coat is a man's coat characterised by knee-length skirts all around the base, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The double-breasted style is sometimes called a Prince Albert . The frock coat is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at the back, and some features...
and a high hat was replaced by a long uniform tunic and shako
Shako
A shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a peak or visor and sometimes tapered at the top...
hat, and constables were issued with a rattle and truncheon
Baton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
. In 1885 whistles were introduced, and in 1897 the recognisable custodian helmet
Custodian helmet
Custodian helmet or centurion helmet, technically known as a 'Home Office pattern helmet', is a helmet worn by many policemen in England and Wales.-History:...
was introduced to the Kent force.
On 1 April 1889, Kent County Constabulary absorbed five of the fourteen other police forces that policed the county of Kent at the time. The remaining nine were absorbed on 1 April 1943. Ruxton retired on 14 August 1894 and died on 20 April 1897.
In terms of mobilisation and communication, Kent Constabulary purchased 20 bicycles in 1896, a number which rose to 129 by 1904. Telephones were given to village police officers in 1925, and by 1930, eight motorcycles had also been introduced, with 19 more bought in 1931 along with one police car. The constabulary still employed horses until 1943, when the last was retired.
In 1965, the force had an establishment of 1,988 officers and an actual strength of 1,766, making it the third largest county force in Great Britain.
Kent County Constabulary kept this name until the 1990s, when it changed its name to Kent Police, the last British force to keep the word "county" in its official title. Although still unpopular with many residents of Kent, the change was considered necessary because it was thought that the large number of visitors coming through the channel tunnel and the ports would understand the word "Police" more readily than "Constabulary".
The Kent Police headquarters are currently located at Sutton Road, Maidstone. Kent Police College is located to the rear of the headquarters site.
Areas covered (BCUs)
- North Kent (DartfordDartfordDartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
, GravesendGravesend, KentGravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
) - South Kent (FolkestoneFolkestoneFolkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, DoverDoverDover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, AshfordAshford, KentAshford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
) - East Kent (CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Herne BayHerne Bay, KentHerne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, South East England, with a population of 35,188. On the south coast of the Thames Estuary, it is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local government district...
, WhitstableWhitstableWhitstable is a seaside town in Northeast Kent, Southeast England. It is approximately north of the city of Canterbury and approximately west of the seaside town of Herne Bay. It is part of the City of Canterbury district and has a population of about 30,000.Whitstable is famous for its oysters,...
, ThanetThanetThanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
) - West Kent (Tunbridge Wells, TonbridgeTonbridgeTonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
, CranbrookCranbrook, KentCranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
, SevenoaksSevenoaksSevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, SwanleySwanleySwanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located on the south-eastern outskirts of London, north of Sevenoaks town. The town boundaries encompass the settlements of Swanley itself, Hextable and Swanley Village...
) - Mid Kent (MaidstoneMaidstoneMaidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, SheppeyIsle of SheppeyThe Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
, SittingbourneSittingbourneSittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...
, FavershamFavershamFaversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
) - MedwayMedwayMedway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
(StroodStroodStrood is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. It lies on the north west bank of the River Medway at its lowest bridging point, and is part of the Rochester post town....
, Rochester, Chatham, GillinghamGillingham, KentGillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
, Rainham)
(Reorganised areas from earlier nine BCU structure to current six BCU structure; this was in response to calls for police force mergers and Kent's argument to remain a strategic stand-alone force.)
Plans have now been released to reduce the six current BCU's in the force into three new Divisions. A timeline for this change has not been announced, but is likely to be late 2011. The new force Divisions will be structured as follows:
- North Kent & Medway Division (DartfordDartfordDartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
, GravesendGravesend, KentGravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
, SheppeyIsle of SheppeyThe Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
, SittingbourneSittingbourneSittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...
, FavershamFavershamFaversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
and MedwayMedwayMedway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
) - East Kent Division (CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Herne BayHerne Bay, KentHerne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, South East England, with a population of 35,188. On the south coast of the Thames Estuary, it is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local government district...
, WhitstableWhitstableWhitstable is a seaside town in Northeast Kent, Southeast England. It is approximately north of the city of Canterbury and approximately west of the seaside town of Herne Bay. It is part of the City of Canterbury district and has a population of about 30,000.Whitstable is famous for its oysters,...
, ThanetThanetThanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
, FolkestoneFolkestoneFolkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
, DoverDoverDover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, DealDeal, KentDeal is a town in Kent England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town...
, AshfordAshford, KentAshford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
) - West Kent Division (MaidstoneMaidstoneMaidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Tunbridge Wells, TonbridgeTonbridgeTonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
, CranbrookCranbrook, KentCranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
, SevenoaksSevenoaksSevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, SwanleySwanleySwanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located on the south-eastern outskirts of London, north of Sevenoaks town. The town boundaries encompass the settlements of Swanley itself, Hextable and Swanley Village...
)
Neighbourhood policing will be carried out at a district level with an extra 400 officers transferred into it. Crime investigation and emergency response will be managed at a central level from the Force Command and Communication Centre. Specialist functions will remain centrally managed.
Tazers were introduced to Kent police in 2009 for rank and file officers, although only Response vehicle drivers were issued with them. Each Response vehicle had to be double crewed with both crew members carrying Tazer due to the safety implications, and to allow proper care and control of a Tazed individual.
On April 6, 2011 it was announced that the 3 new areas will each be commanded by a Chief Superintendent and Superintendent. Each individual town within each area will be commanded by a Chief Inspector. There are up to 400 extra officers on neighbourhood patrols now with all emergency response handled from HQ in Maidstone. All response officers will be Standard and Advanced level.
2011 Budget Cuts
Kent Police cancelled their last scheduled intake of trainees for the Regular (paid) force in February 2011. They were due to commence their training at the end of March. There will be no further intake of Regular trainess now for at least 3 years.Conversely 200 Special Constables (volunteers) were sworn in the same month.
On June 3 at 9am every officer and member of staff in Kent Police received an e-mail informing them of their future assignments in the aftermath of the budget cuts.
Future of Kent Police
In a report published by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in July 2011, the impact on the number of police officers and staff partly due to the reduction to Kent Police's budget following the comprehensive spending review is as follows:| Police officers | Police staff | PCSOs | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2010 (actual) | 3,787 | 2,673 | 387 | 6,847 |
| 31 March 2015 (proposed) | 3,274 | 1,858 | 364 | 5,496 |
Senior management structure
- Chief ConstableChief ConstableChief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
- Ian Learmonth - Deputy Chief ConstableDeputy Chief ConstableDeputy chief constable is the second highest rank in all territorial police forces in the United Kingdom , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear...
- Alan Pughsley - Assistant Chief ConstableAssistant Chief ConstableAssistant chief constable is the third highest rank in all British territorial police forces , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and...
Gary Beautridge (Joint Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate) - Assistant Chief Constable - Andy Adams (Operational Support)
- Assistant Chief Constable - Allyn Thomas (Human Resources & Corporate Communications)
- Temporary Assistant Chief Constable - Paul Brandon (Area Operations)
- Director of Finance (civilian) - Simon Redman (Finances & Infrastructure)
In December 2010, former Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Leppard left Kent Police to take over as Commissioner of The City of London Police, replacing Mike Bowron QPM.
On 22 March 2011 former Kent Assistant Chief Constable David Ainsworth (then Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy Chief Constable
Deputy chief constable is the second highest rank in all territorial police forces in the United Kingdom , as well as the British Transport Police, Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear...
of Wiltshire Police) was found dead at his home. He had hanged himself.
Essex Police
Essex Police
Essex Police is a territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Essex in the east of England.It is one of the largest non-metropolitan police forces in the United Kingdom, employing approximately 3,600 police officers and operating across an area of over and with a population of...
and Kent Police set up a joint Serious Crime Directorate (SCD) in 2010, to help share intelligence. Kent Assistant Chief Constable Gary Beautridge is also simultaneously the ACC for Media Relations for Essex Police. This has led to speculation that the two forces may merge permanently at some point in the near future.
On December 3rd 2011, ACC Allyn Thomas will retire from Kent Police. It has not been made public knowledge as of October 2011 whether he will be replaced or, in light of the impending budget cuts, Kent Police will downgrade from 4 ACCs to 3.
Chief Constables of Kent Police
From 1857 to present.- Captain John Henry Hay Ruxton- 1 April 1857 to August 1894
- Major Henry Edwards- 1894 to 1895
- Lt.Col Henry Warde- 1895 to 1921
- Major Harry Ernest ChapmanHarry Ernest ChapmanMajor Harry Ernest Chapman CBE was a British soldier and police officer. He served as Chief Constable of Kent County Constabulary from January 1921 to 1940, having previously been Deputy Chief Constable...
- January 1921 to 1940 - Captain J A Davison- 1940 to 1942
- Sir Percy SillitoePercy SillitoeSir Percy Joseph Sillitoe KBE was Director General of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1946 to 1953...
- 1943 to 1946 - Major John FergusonJohn Ferguson (police officer)Major Sir John Frederick Ferguson CBE QPM CStJ DL was a senior British police officer.Ferguson was the son of a Major in the Indian Army. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen...
- 1946 to 1958 - Lt. Col Geoffrey White- 1958 to 1962
- Richard Dawnay Lemon- April 1962 to 1974
- Barry Pain- 1974 to 1982
- Frank Jordan- 1982 to 1989
- Paul Condon- 1989 to 1993
- David Philips- 1993 to 2003
- Robert Ayling- 1 April 2003 to 5 January 2004
- Michael FullerMichael FullerMichael Fuller, QPM is the former Chief Constable of Kent Police and was the first black Chief Constable in the United Kingdom.Fuller took up his role as Chief Constable of Kent on 5 January 2004. He joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1975 as a cadet. He has served in uniformed and CID...
- 5 January 2004 to 16 February 2010 - Ian LearmonthIan LearmonthIan Learmonth is a senior British police officer, currently the Chief Constable of Kent Police.Ian Learmonth was born in Edinburgh in 1958 and is married with children and a grandchild....
- 5 July 2010 to present
UK TV show Coppers
The 2010 Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary Coppers
Coppers (TV series)
Coppers is a 2010 British documentary television series series produced by Blast! Films for Channel 4, about policing in England. First broadcast on 1 November, the series followed the day to day lives of police officers from four territorial police forces around the country, covering various...
highlighted the work of the Kent force in two of its episodes. Episode 1 showed the work of the officers and staff at Medway's custody suite and episode 3 showed the force's call centre at Maidstone and the emergency response officers in Medway BCU.
Historical and Notable Incidents
In 2006, Kent Police dealt with the biggest cash robbery in the history of British policing - the Tonbridge Securitas depot robberySecuritas depot robbery
The Securitas depot robbery was the largest cash robbery in British history, that took place on the evening of 21 February 2006 from 18:30 GMT until the early hours of 22 February...
. Officers investigated the theft of £53m, with six men being sentenced to a total of 156 years imprisonment.
In June 2007 Anne Sanderson was shot dead by an armed officer in Sevenoaks, Kent after being seen with what was later identified as a ball bearing gun. It was the first fatal shooting of a woman by UK Police in 27 years (and first time ever that the shooting was deliberate). A subsequent IPCC investigation and an inquest jury returned a verdict of lawful killing.
Officers killed in the line of duty or while reporting for duty
The Police Memorial TrustPolice Memorial Trust
The Police Memorial Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1984 and based in London. The trust's objective is to erect memorials to British police officers killed in the line of duty, at or near the spot where they died, thereby acting as a permanent reminder to the public of the sacrifice...
lists and commemorates all British police officers killed in the line of duty, and since its establishment in 1984 has erected over 38 memorials to some of those officers.
The following members of Kent Police are listed on the Roll of Honour:
- PC Israel May - Died 24 August 1873, aged 37 - Beaten with his own truncheon while attempting to arrest a drunken man.
- PC John Harryman - Died 29 May 1907, aged 29 - Killed by a railway engine while guarding the line for the royal train.
- PC John Truphet Saywell - Died 1 October 1910, aged 35 - Died during an operation on an injury inflicted during a disturbance.
- DS George Henry Apps - Died 7 June 1916, aged 34 - Died of injuries received on duty in 1915 when knocked down by a car.
- PC Charles William Walker - Died 21 July 1924, aged 51 - Died of injuries received on duty when he was knocked down by a cyclist.
- PC Edwin James Longhurst - Died 8 February 1928, aged 44 - Fatally injured cycling on duty when knocked down by a bus in Canterbury.
- PC Ernest F. Bradley - Died 18 August 1928, aged 27 - Fatally injured on motorcycle patrol in a collision with another motorcycle.
- PC Albert Cox - Died 20 December 1930, aged 40 - Died of injuries sustained in January 1930 in a cycling accident on duty.
- RPC Charles William Haines - Died 20 September 1940, aged 65 - Fatally injured when struck by a car cycling back to his station in an air raid.
- PC Thomas James Farrell - Died 1 November 1940, aged 38 -Killed during an enemy air raid when bomb splinters pierced his helmet.
- PWRC Herbert James Chittenden - Died 1 January 1942, aged 41 - Killed when his police motorcycle struck the kerb and overturned.
- PC Stephen George James Huggins - Died 31 October 1942, aged 37 - Fatally injured by a bullet from an enemy aircraft during an air raid.
- PWRC Reginald Walter Dowling - Died 8 April 1943, aged 49 - Died of injuries received in June 1942 during an air raid at Canterbury.
- Killed in enemy air raids off duty or duty status unknown (World War II) between 1940 & 1945
S/Insp George Moore, SC John Olive, PWRC Henry Kettle, PC Ronald Parker, S/Sgt Reginald John Rogers, SC Arthur Edward Potten, SC Ernest Albert Farrow, SC Frederick Walter Heine, SC Richard Daniel Jay Wills, PC Cecil George Constable, PMS Edward John Toomey, SC William George Warner, S/Sgt William Albert Bransby, SC George Ernest Russell, PC Sydney Russell, SC Harry Thomas R. Pankhurst, PWRC Frederick Chapman, Sgt William George Braddick, SC Frederick James Collard, PWRC Albert Robert Gibling, SC Robert Wheeler, Sgt William George Dickinson, SC Frederick Johnson
- PC Frank Skewis - Died 8 January 1949, aged 49 - Killed when accidentally struck by a car while rounding up stray horses.
- PC Alan George Baxter - Died 5 June 1951, aged 33 - Fatally wounded when shot by a gunman being sought by police.
- PC Hubert Stanley Pay - Died 4 November 1951, aged 25 -Fatally injured travelling to work when his motorcycle hit a lorry.
- T/Sgt Gerald Thomas P. Rooney - Died 14 March 1956, aged 24 - Shot dead by terrorists, on duty with the British Police Unit in Cyprus.
- PC Peter W. Child - Died 27 January 1964, aged 27 - Killed on a driving course when the police car he was in crashed.
- PC Robert Archibald Beattie - Died 5 July 1965, aged 41 - and
- PC Robert Alfred John Knight - Died 5 July 1965, aged 29 - Killed when their patrol car was hit head on by a car on the motorway.
- PC George Craig - Died 21 May 1967, aged 36 - Killed on motorcycle patrol when he ran into an unlit lorry at night.
- PC Phillip Alan Long - Died 28 June 1968, aged 22 - Fatally injured in a road accident while on motorcycle patrol.
- DC Roger Gardiner - Died 26 May 1972, aged 36 - Killed while driving a police vehicle when he lost control and hit a tree.
- PC Malcolm John Boakes - Died 21 October 1973, aged 31 - and
- John Francis Ryan - Died 21 October 1973, aged 33 - Killed while travelling to duty when a load fell off a lorry onto their car.
- DS Charles Edward Brisley - Died 20 April 1978, aged 47 - Fatally injured when struck by a lorry trailer on duty in Folkestone harbour.
- Sgt George Frederick Matthew - Died 16 June 1983, aged 42 - Killed on motorcycle patrol when his machine collided with a lorry.
- PC Duncan Watts Clift - Died 24 March 1991, aged 27 - Run down and fatally injured trying to stop a stolen car while off duty.
- PC Alexander Gordon Doe - Died 18 May 1993, aged 44 - Killed on an advanced motorcycle course when his machine crashed.
- PC Jonathan Bruce Odell - Died 19 December 2000, age 30 - Run down and killed by a speeding vehicle he was attempting to stop.
- PC Katie Louise Mitchell - Died 3 October 2007, age 39 - Killed in a motorcycle accident while travelling to duty at Tonbridge.
- PC Phillip Edward Pratt - Died 14 June 2009, aged 26 - Killed when struck by a vehicle while protecting the scene of an accident.
- DS Terry Easterby - Died 25 February 2011, aged 44 - Died in a motorcycle collision while travelling to report for duty at Medway.
See also
- Law enforcement in the United Kingdom
- List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom
- Table of police forces in the United KingdomTable of police forces in the United KingdomThis table of police forces in the United Kingdom includes territorial police forces and special police forces. It does not include non-police law enforcement agencies or bodies of constables not constituted as police forces.-Table:-England and Wales:...