Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
A big noise in getting tough
Mitchell Fox is the new district commander for police in Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable. He sat down with Alex Claridge to talk about anti-social behaviour, begging and the role of social media in tackling crime
In a surprisingly small office atop the Old Dover Road police station, Mitchell Fox is settling into his job as the new district commander for Canterbury.
Not unfamiliar with this part of Kent, having completed a stint from 2003 as the inspector with responsibility for the coastal towns, he is not afraid to admit policing the city presents a unique set of issues.
“Obviously, Canterbury sees a seasonal change to its population with around 10,000 plus students who move here for the first year of university,” Ch Insp Fox told the Gazette in an interview on Monday.
Students disturbing their neighbours is a complaint brought frequently to the police’s attention and in September sparked the launch of a street marshals scheme.
The marshals are employees of private security firm Right Guard and patrol areas frequented by students making their way home after a night out at the weekend.
Their presence is a boon to Ch Insp Fox, who has made tackling anti-social behaviour one of his priorities through Operation Page, a district-wide plan to target noise and disruption in our three chief urban areas.
“It is having the right effect,” he says of the marshals scheme. “What they do is intervene at an early stage and make sure people act sensibly. We are also running an operation with the universities so young people are aware of the risks associated with the nighttime economy.”
But it won’t just be revellers who will be under scrutiny.
“We want to make sure licensed premises are being managed properly so they operate safely,” he adds. “We will also be working with organisations such as the street pastors, youth support services and our police community support officers to prevent anti-social behaviour.”
Ch Insp Fox also plans to increase the district police’s use of social media, such as Twitter, to spread safety advice.
Social media’s reach has been steadily increasing and it is now not unusual to find pictures of major police incidents or serious accidents on the internet as they are happening.
Having personally been spoken to angrily by officers attending incidents, it’s clear to me they do not like people standing about taking pictures on their phones.
But is this a view shared by their new boss?
“It isn’t an issue,” Ch Insp Fox assures. “There are occasions when it can be a positive. It could be used evidentially and it may help circumvent complaints.”
Kent Police are also due to roll out body-worn video cameras across the county over the year.
Other issues Ch Insp Fox is planning to focus on include begging, especially by people who are not homeless but specifically come to the city centre to beg.
Another is child sex exploitation “where victims may not know they are actually victims”.
What about the role of police and crime commissioners, introduced in 2012?
Kent ended up with Ann Barnes, she of the car crash TV documentary in which she couldn’t describe her own job.
The election for the next spell of office, which Mrs Barnes is not contesting, takes place on May 5.
Have they been a force for good since their introduction?
“I don’t have a view on that and even if I did it’s not something I would be able to talk about,” says Ch Insp Fox.
To be fair, people probably care more about what he intends to do about anti-social behaviour and night-time disruption and noise.
And if the noises he made this week about getting tough are anything to go by, they will find support among residents.
‘What the marshals do is intervene at an early stage and make sure people act sensibly’