I'm working hard to speed up police response locally.
Earlier this year I hosted a series of roundtables about rural crime in the Weald area, and following on from the success of these I wanted to give parish councils around Maidstone the chance to raise wider concerns with our local policing team.
That's why this month I invited Maidstone parishes to the Downswood Community Centre to talk to Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott and Maidstone District commander Mark McLellan.
We had a really productive discussion, and it was so good to hear that the police had taken on board what we'd spoken about.
They have increased the size of the Rural Policing Unit, they're rolling out named officers for every ward, and they're also making changes to the Neighbourhood Policing Model.
It was great to hear that at the same time as getting crime investigated, they also want to make sure investigations lead to a better outcome for victims too - especially victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
We have 532 more police here in Kent than in 2019, and I'm determined to see the benefit for our local towns and villages.
