Appendix 1.

Community Protection Team Range of Responsibilities

• Anti-social behaviour

• Noise nuisance

• Pollution & verminous properties

• Drains

• Public Space Protection Order

• Issuing Fixed Penalty Notices

• Organised crime groups

• Gangs & exploitation

• Supporting the Safer Maidstone Partnership

• Animal welfare licensing

• Safety Advisory Group

• Gypsy/holiday home site licensing

• Unauthorised encampments on MBC land

In addition to this reactive work the team also undertakes a significant amount of proactive and preventative work to safeguard the most vulnerable within the borough. This includes, in the last 12 months:

·         Implementation and management of the new Public Realm CCTV system

·         Improved management of our Mobile CCTV assets and their deployment with Kent Police CSU

·         Administration of the Weekly Community Safety Vulnerabilities Group

·         Chairing the Maidstone Domestic Abuse Forum and supporting the provision of support services, including the One Stop Shops

·         Co-chairing the District Contextual Safeguarding Meeting

·         Participating in the Local Children’s Partnership Group for Maidstone

·         Administration of the Police Crime Commissioner’s annual Community Safety fund, making c£15k of funding available to support local projects, including Maidstone Street Pastors and awareness programs for kids around gangs, violence and personal resilience

·         Engagement with the Serious Organised Crime Panel to successfully disrupt 3 recognised Organised Crime Groups and to target County Line activity

Obtained funding from the Kent Violence Reduction Unit for funding projects and initiatives including:

- Emergency Trauma Packs for key locations around the town

- A new knife bar and two knife wands

- 2 new rapid deployment cameras

- Youth Safety Survey (postponed till October 2020)

Hosting a partnership “sites of interest” meeting for complex sites with criminal, planning and environmental concerns

Introduced a more efficient Safety Advisory Group process to allow event organisers to seek advice on how to run their events safely and reducing the need for meetings

Introduced new animal welfare legislation in relation to animal activities, including new processes for home boarding, assessing them against new criteria and awarding star ratings as follows

Played pivotal role in the post lockdown “Town Centre re-opening” task force for both day time and night time economies