The Kent Community Safety Partnership meeting scheduled for 31 March 2026 was set to review and refresh the Kent Community Safety Agreement, discuss updates from various working groups, and consider the refreshed Police and Crime Plan for 2025-2029. The meeting also included updates on the Serious Violence Duty and restricted items concerning domestic abuse and counter-terrorism.

Kent Community Safety Agreement Review and Refresh Update

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the review and refresh of the Kent Community Safety Agreement (CSA) for 2026-27. The report outlined a proposed move from eight priorities to three overarching strategic aims to create a more streamlined, flexible, and data-led approach to partnership working. These aims are: Stronger, safer and resilient neighbourhoods: addressing ASB, neighbourhood crime, and local concerns ; Reducing violence, abuse and high-harm offending ; and Protecting vulnerable people: reducing exploitation, susceptibility, and repeat harm . This revised framework aims to improve clarity, reduce duplication, and better align with district and borough Community Safety Partnership plans and the Kent Police and Crime Plan. The report also detailed the review process, which included evidence from local strategic assessments, partnership data, horizon scanning, and feedback from partners.

Kent Community Safety Partnership Working Group Update

An update was scheduled on the activities of the Kent Community Safety Partnership Working Group. This included information on the funding allocated by the Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) Crime Reduction Grant for 2025/26, which supported various projects. These projects included a Hateful Extremism Learning Event, Countering the Extreme Right-Wing Training, Kent Community Domestic Abuse Champions Branding & Resources, the Teacher in Your Pocket (TEPO) Scams Module, Responsible Authority Training on the Licensing Act 2003, British Sign Language (BSL) Interpretation to TEPO, Local Vape Action Retailer Packs, Violence Against Women & Girls Support Champions, The Anti-Racist School, and The Reflect and Connect Project. The report also provided an update on the funding for the Crime Reduction Grant for 2026/27 and outlined the process for submitting new project proposals. Additionally, the update covered the work of the Kent Community Safety Team (KCST), including Community Safety Information Sessions and the distribution of monthly e-bulletins. Learning from Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) was also highlighted, with details of recent webinars.

Kent and Medway Serious Violence Duty Update

The meeting was set to receive an update on the Kent and Medway Serious Violence Duty. This duty, established by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, requires specified authorities to collaborate and plan to prevent and reduce serious violence. The report detailed the strategy agreed by the Serious Violence Prevention Partnership Board, which has three key strands: Sexual Violence, Serious Youth Violence, and Violence linked to drugs and alcohol. The update was expected to summarise changes to the guidance for 2026/27, including updates on the scope of violence, partnership roles, data requirements, community engagement, prevention focus, accountability, and legal alignment. Specific updates were anticipated for each of the three key strands, including reductions in sexual violence and knife-enabled serious violence for under 18s. The report also mentioned the ongoing Young Futures Pilot and the confirmation of funding for the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) for 2026-2027.

Refreshed Police and Crime Plan 2025-2029 Update

An update was scheduled on the refreshed Police and Crime Plan 2025-2029. The report explained the process of refreshing the plan annually, as required by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. This refresh was informed by the Annual Policing Survey 2025, which gathered feedback from over 5,400 respondents. Key findings from the survey indicated that residents felt safer where they live and in their town centres, and had increased trust and confidence in Kent Police compared to the previous year. The refresh also considered various other documents and factors, including the Strategic Policing Requirement, feedback from the Kent and Medway Police and Crime Panel, government initiatives, and emerging local threats. The report noted that the plan's four key priorities – Protecting People, Protecting Places, Protecting Property, and Productive Partnerships – remained central, with updates made to reflect survey data, recommendations from the Angiolini Inquiry, the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, and proposed budget changes.

Restricted Items

The meeting also included restricted items not open to the press and public. These were an update on Kent and Medway Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews and an update on the Counter Terrorism Contest Strategy (Prevent, Protect, Prepare).