The Kent and Medway Police and Crime Panel met to discuss the Police and Crime Commissioner's annual report, the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, and complaints against the commissioner. The panel approved the content of the 2024/25 Annual Report of the Kent and Medway Police and Crime Panel and noted the reports on the Safer Streets Summer Initiative and complaints. The panel also noted the responses to questions that had been submitted to the Commissioner.

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Annual Report 2024-25

The panel considered and approved the Annual Report 2024-25 from Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Scott, which detailed progress against the priorities in his 'Making Kent Safer' plan. The plan, which covered the three financial years from April 2022 to March 2025, focused on key areas such as preventing crime, tackling violence against women and girls, protecting vulnerable people, and combating organised crime.

The report highlighted a number of achievements, including:

• A reduction in victim-based crime across Kent.
• Improved call handling performance, with Kent Police ranking highly nationally for answering emergency and non-emergency calls.
• The launch of the vulnerability strategy to address violence against women and girls.
• Initiatives to combat organised crime and county lines, including raids on suspected brothels and the seizure of drugs and cash.
• The success of the Police Cadet Scheme, which received The King's Award for Voluntary Service.

The report also addressed challenges, such as backlogs in the criminal justice system and the need for increased funding for victim support services.

The PCC's commitments outlined in the plan included:

• Holding all agencies to account for the delivery of an effective and efficient criminal justice system.
• Working in partnership with the police and others to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Being responsive to emerging issues and trends through innovation.
• Securing the funding that Kent needs through specific grants and the funding formula review.
• Supporting volunteering.
• Commissioning services for victims that are needs-led.

The panel agreed to a further update on the Criminal Justice System at their meeting on 21 July 2026.

Safer Streets Summer Initiative

The panel received a report on the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, a government initiative aimed at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in town centres. The initiative ran from 30 June to 30 September 2025, and involved increased police patrols, local action to tackle high street crime, and targeted enforcement powers against troublemakers.

Fifteen town centres across Kent were selected as priority areas based on analytical work: Canterbury, Dover, Tunbridge Wells, Sittingbourne, Ashford, Maidstone, Temple Hill, Dartford, Ramsgate High Street, Sheerness, Chatham High Street, Margate, Gravesend High Street, Rochester, Folkestone High Street and Gillingham.

Kent Police reported on a range of activities undertaken as part of the initiative, including:

• Project Vigilant, which focused on preventing sexual violence in the night-time economy.
• Operation Pilot, a multi-agency initiative to detect and deter drug use in the night-time economy.
• Targeted police operations to address anti-social behaviour, including the seizure of e-scooters and e-bikes.
• Multi-agency youth engagement initiatives, such as diversionary activities and the promotion of safeguarding.
• Community engagement events to build trust and confidence in the police.
• Work with businesses to tackle shoplifting and retail crime.

Questions to the Commissioner

The panel addressed a number of questions to Matthew Scott, the Police and Crime Commissioner:

• Councillor Connie Nolan, Canterbury City Council, asked about problems with off-road trail bikes across the county. The Commissioner responded that 4,900 incidents had been reported to Kent Police the previous year, a decrease of 9% on the year before, and that tactics used to address the problems included the deployment of plain-clothed and uniformed officers, the issuing of Community Protection Warnings¹ and the use of drones.
• Maxwell Harrison, Kent County Council, and Paul Webb, Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, both asked questions relating to a perceived rise in crime in Kent, a lack of confidence in the police, and the prioritisation of thought crimes over tackling offences such as burglary. The Commissioner clarified that he had a statutory role in the police complaints process but no authority over matters of individual police officer conduct, and that Kent Police's priorities were not political because he, in his role as Police and Crime Commissioner, was the one who set them. He referred to his Police and Crime Plan that had been named 'Cut Crime, Support Victims and Build Trust' because those were precisely the areas he expected Kent Police to focus on.
• John Moreland, Kent County Council, asked about policies and procedures in place to support potential victims of modern slavery and people trafficking after their referral to the National Referral Mechanism². The Commissioner said that there were structured multi-agency policies and procedures in place to support potential victims of modern-day slavery and human trafficking, including the identification of signs of slavery and human trafficking, referral to the UK Human trafficking centre within 48 hours, and a 45-day reflection recovery period.
• Councillor Hannah Perkin, Swale Borough Council, asked about specific actions and partnerships in place to prevent violence against women and girls, including work with the British Transport Police. The Commissioner responded that Kent Police had launched a vulnerability strategy in February 2025 and supported the national Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) taskforce through research into predatory sexual offending. He also noted the British Transport Police had collaborated with the Swale Neighbourhood Task Force and Rail Enforcement officers to tackle antisocial behaviour and prevent drugs and weapons being brought into the town centres and the local night-time economy.

Complaints Against the Commissioner Annual Report 2024-25

The panel received the Annual Complaints Report 2024-25, which provided an overview of complaints made against the Police and Crime Commissioner. Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, 14 complaints were received against the PCC, Matthew Scott. Of these, 11 were recorded but the regulations were disapplied on the grounds that the complaints were vexatious, oppressive, repetitious or an abuse of the complaints process . The Complaints Sub-Committee was not convened to consider any complaints.

Work Programme

The panel noted the work programme and reminded members to contact the Panel Clerk with any items they would like to add to it.

Performance and Delivery Board Meeting Notes

The panel noted the minutes of the Performance and Delivery Board Meeting held on 28 May 2025.