By Local Democracy Reporter Simon Finlay
Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott has launched an online survey to gauge public trust in the county’s force.
Mr Scott’s annual questionnaire will drill down into residents’ perceptions and experiences after a slew of negative headlines in recent years.
Respondents to the survey titled “Do You Trust Kent Police?” will remain anonymous.
The results will feed into Mr Scott’s quarterly performance and delivery boards, where he will challenge the newly-appointed Chief Constable Tim Smith about the performance of his force.
The commissioner is plain that he wants the unvarnished truth from taxpayers.
Mr Scott said: “We all know trust in the police generally has been severely tested over the last few years, with repeated stories of misconduct and criminal behaviour.
“I want to know whether you trust Kent Police and whether you think they respond well when you need them. Restoring and maintaining trust in the police is vital if the force is going to serve Kent effectively.”
He is seeking views on the “Community Remedy” to be implemented for some crimes like antisocial behaviour, criminal damage or some low-value thefts.
He added: “This includes options like mediation between the offender and the injured party, written or verbal apologies, or community service. We’re reviewing the procedure in Kent and would like to know what you think are the preferred solutions.”
The launch of the questionnaire has met with a mixed response across the county.
Thanet Labour county councillor Barry Lewis said: “The fact that Matthew Scott has to ask the question tells you the answer.”
Thanet South MP Craig Mackinlay said: “I know Matthew well and he likes to use his annual survey to test the public’s mood about certain issues that he knows are pertinent.
“We have a new senior management team at Kent Police and I hope it will be better than the last one. People have great misgivings about priorities. If you do 35mph in a 30mph zone they will pursue you to the ends of the earth.
“But if you call them about a group of youths hanging around outside your home, they are nowhere to be seen.”
Criminal lawyer Jag Takk, of Takk and Co in Maidstone, said: “Like any organisation, the integrity of the force will be affected by some officers. But to say that all police officers are untrustworthy would not be true.”
Conservative Maidstone county councillor Paul Cooper said police forces across the country have been hamstrung by bureaucracy and form-filling to the detriment of street visibility.
To take part in the survey, click onto:
Trust the Kent police? Sadly its a NO. I think all police authorities are up there with the Met Police.
Do I trust the police, No I don’t, and neither do I trust Mathew Scott! He deliberately failed to answer questions about my experiences when the police failed to enforce the law. So I will complete his survey but won’t expect any response because he is another chocolate tea pot, and a waste of public money! What is needed is for the police to be held publicly accountable, at the moment they are only accountable to themselves!
No, I don’t trust the police anywhere in the UK. They have been proven to be institutionally racist, sexist, homophobic and misogynistic.
The less one has to do with the police the better. It’s a murky world that they work in and I believe some of the murkiness rubs off on to some of them.
Is this a joke question, my daughter was stalked by a Medway Police officer after she ended their relationship.
I don’t even trust them to turn up.
Absolutely
They strung by political correctness, if someone broke into my house and I defended my property they would be more interested in arresting me. They get no support from the courts society punishes the innocent because our courts let the guilty off. Only thing I trust less are politicians especially the left.
Not one bit! they are as bad as the criminals they are supposed to arrest! No trust in them at all!
I personally was subjected to the fact that police can change evidence to make a story in court look better for the investigating officer, my barrister even questioned it, but of course the law won , I’ve still got the evidence aswell , even a blind person could of seen they change the truth to suit them , so no I haven’t got any trust in the police, they are bigger criminals than most .
Trust them to do what?
They have defiantly cleaned their act up from to 70/80/90s corruption scandals.
Tory austerity policies have crippled them so they are not to blame, they can only do so much with the limited recourses they have.
Stupid question to ask really when you know full well what the answer is gonna be innit?
These days they’re morally corrupt.
Can never trust pc’s or more experienced police who wear the thin blue line on their union jack badge. Called the gang badge.
I will leave it there.
The survey doesn’t actually work – you can’t get past the page where you are asked to grade remedies. No I don’t trust Kent police as they failed to investigate the near murder of a local woman whose attackers are still unknown due to police not getting any forensics on the day of attack. I once saw police with their knee in the back of a deaf and very distressed woman they had on the floor to arrest. I could go on.
how can we be expected to trust this lot ? just look at the news and media , they are some of the worse offenders