A large police operation in Cliftonville last week was prompted by reports of a boy on the roof of a building.
Officers and dog handlers were spotted in Harold Road on April 13. Witnesses also reported a police helicopter overhead.
Kent Police said at the time they were making enquiries after a teenage boy had run off from officers that afternoon.
A Kent Police spokesman has now confirmed the high number of officers at the incident was due to concerns that the boy could have put himself in danger.
The spokesman said: “The concern was that the boy may have climbed on to a roof which would have placed him in danger. That is why the amount of officers present may have looked like a high number.
“It is not clear whether the boy actually got onto a roof, however he was later seen entering a building, which reduced any danger he may have been in.”