Bobbies get number boost
The number of bobbies on the beat in town centres is set to receive a huge boost.
A total of 38 new constables will join 18 other police officers, who are already part of a team, to specifically serve urban communities.
The recruits will work to tackle crime during the evening hours, anti-social behaviour and theft.
Towns such as Maidstone, Folkestone and Chatham, where town centre PCs are already in place, will receive additional support while areas such as Gillingham, Cliftonville and Sevenoaks will see the introduction of dedicated officers in the near future.
The additional officers have been recruited under Kent Police’s More Than the Badge campaign – the largest recruitment drive in the force’s history. It has been funded by an uplift in the council tax precept secured by the Police and Crime Commissioner.
A convenience store has been banned from selling strong beer, lager and cider.
Kent Police applied for a review of Upmart Convenience Store in Gabriels Hill, Maidstone, stating it has become a magnet for early-morning street drinkers to buy booze which is fuelling aggressive and anti-social behaviour in the town. Officers reported seeing staff selling drink to already-drunk customers.
One PCSO’s statement, included in the licence review application, said a drunk man was seen staggering out of the shop with a can of high strength lager.
Alcohol could be smelt on his breath, his speech was slurred and he fell into the officer, the report adds.