83% of Kent Residents Oppose Police Force Merger

24th June

More than 1,500 people have responded to Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott’s consultation on proposed changes to policing, with early findings highlighting significant concern about potential police mergers. 

The consultation, launched in May, asks Kent residents for their views on the Government’s plans to reduce the current 43 police forces into a smaller number of larger, regional forces. 

The Police and Crime Commissioner has now shared the initial findings with the Independent Reviewer of Police Force Structures, Lord Hogan-Howe. 

The early results show that just over half of respondents (55%) were aware of the proposed reforms before completing the survey. However, there is clear opposition to the idea of merging Kent Police with other forces, with 83% of Kent residents saying they do not wish to see Kent Police merged with other forces. 

More than half of respondents said they could not identify any advantages to merging forces. The most recognised benefit, cited by around 30%, was the potential for more efficient use of funding due to shared resources. 

There were major concerns about the impact on local policing with 87% saying they believed there would be less focus on local policing if Kent Police were merged. Concerns were also raised about reduced neighbourhood connections, fewer visible patrols, slower response times and a potential loss of public confidence in policing. 

 Matthew Scott said: 

“These interim results provide a clear indication of how the people of Kent feel and what they want from their police force.  

The vast majority of residents do not believe that larger police forces will deliver better outcomes and are concerned about what this could mean for local policing, visibility and accountability.” 

In his submission to the Review, the Police and Crime Commissioner highlighted that Kent Police is already one of the largest territorial forces in England and Wales, serving almost two million people across a mix of rural, coastal and urban communities. He also outlined the force’s strong performance, with the latest HMICFRS PEEL inspection confirming that Kent Police had no areas of policing assessed as requiring improvement or inadequate.  

The PCC further argued that effective collaboration can and is being achieved without merging police forces, noting that many of the opportunities outlined in the Government’s White Paper are already being delivered through existing partnerships. 

Mr Scott added: 

“Kent Police is already operating at a significant scale and is performing strongly and collaborating well. It is not clear what a merger would add, but what is clear is that the people of Kent do not support it and I must speak up for their interests.  

“Kent residents want clear, visible, local and accountable policing in their communities and many believe the proposed merger puts that at risk. It is my responsibility to ensure that the voices of Kent residents are heard as these proposals are considered at a national level.” 

The consultation remains open, and residents are still encouraged to share their views before it closes. All responses will be used to inform the Commissioner’s position, which will be shared with the Home Office and Ministers as part of ongoing discussions. 

ENDS 

Note to editors:  

- Police Forces Merger Consultation 

- Initial findings available on request