Trust in Kent Police has increased for the second year running
18th February 2026
Residents’ trust in Kent Police has increased for the second year running, according to the findings of the Annual Policing Survey 2025 published by Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott
The survey, which ran from September to early December, received more than 5,400 responses from people living across Kent and Medway.
The annual survey asked residents about their experiences of crime, their confidence in local policing, and how safe they feel in their communities. Of the total responses, 4,939 were submitted online, while a further 462 were gathered in person at engagement stalls held in rural, coastal and urban areas across the county.
Respondents rated their trust in Kent Police on average as 6.46/10, a small but positive rise from 6.4 which was recorded last year. 66.4% scored their trust at six or above, an improvement on 2024, while individuals rating trust at four or below fell to 21.54%. Trust among victims and witnesses of crime also increased, although it remained lower overall at 5.25/10.
Feelings of safety also showed improvement. Residents rated how safe they feel where they live at 7.26/10, up from seven last year. Safety in their nearest town was scored lower, at 5.93/10, though this too experienced a small rise from last year.
51.5% of respondents said they had experienced antisocial behaviour in the past year, down from 55% in the previous survey. The most common issues remained rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour, littering, vehicle nuisance, off-road motorcycles and drug use. However, 67.8% of people who experienced ASB did not report it to any authority.
When asked if they’d been a victim of any other type of crime the vast majority (72.5%) had not. For those who had been a victim or witness, the majority did report the incident, although 57% said they were not satisfied with the outcome.
Public perceptions of Kent Police performance improved again this year. The average rating rose to 6.06/10 from 5.8 last year, with the most common score given being seven. As with previous years, people who had experienced crime or ASB rated performance lower, while those without such experiences gave higher scores.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott said:
“I am encouraged to see positive results, with feelings of trust, safety and police performance all rising. However, there is always more to be done. We want everyone to report crime when it happens so the police can respond and act. We will keep working to strengthen the services available to victims to ensure they receive the support they need throughout their journey. I will continue to work with the Chief Constable to ensure that further progress is made and that the residents of Kent receive the police service they expect and deserve.”
The survey also asked whether people had seen a police officer on the beat in the last year (64.6% said they had) and how victims had reported crime (with 999, 101 calls and reporting online being the preferred methods). We also asked people whether they agreed with the priorities in our Police and Crime Plan, which overwhelmingly they did.
ENDS
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