Maidstone Town Centre Team Update

It's been another busy week so far for the Maidstone Town Centre Team, working alongside our Town Centre Ambassadors to help keep the town safe and welcoming.

🛍️ Shoplifting incidents addressed

We attended several reports of shoplifting in the town centre this week. Working closely with businesses and our Town Centre Ambassadors, we identified those responsible, recovered stolen goods and ensured they were returned to the stores. Those involved were dealt with by way of formal cautions and have been banned from the affected premises.

🚒 Officers help prevent serious fire

While on patrol in Canning Street, two of our officers spotted a fire developing in the front of a parked van which had not yet been noticed by anyone nearby. Concerned for public safety, they forced entry to ensure nobody was trapped inside before alerting local residents and evacuating nearby terraced houses, which were at risk should the fire spread.

Kent Fire & Rescue Service attended quickly and extinguished the fire before it could spread to neighbouring properties. Thankfully, nobody was injured and significant damage was prevented. As a precaution, both officers were taken to Maidstone Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation but were later discharged.

👏 A huge thank you to Kent Fire & Rescue for their swift response.

🚫 Town centre ban issued

A man was arrested following reports that he was behaving inappropriately within the town centre. Following his release from custody, conditions have been put in place preventing him from entering the town centre while enquiries continue.

👮 Arrest following report of harassment

Officers arrested a man in London after he was identified as the suspect in an incident on the outskirts of Maidstone where sexualised comments were directed towards a lone woman. We take reports of this behaviour extremely seriously and will always seek to identify and take action against those responsible.

🚗 Failed to stop incident

We also assisted colleagues from the Park Wood beat area following reports of a vehicle failing to stop. Officers helped locate the suspect, along with clothing that had allegedly been discarded in an attempt to avoid detection. A man was arrested for driving offences and the vehicle was seized after it was found to have no insurance.

Thank you to everyone who continues to report concerns to us. Your information helps us identify offenders, safeguard vulnerable people and keep Maidstone a safe place to live, work and visit.