Introduction
The Tonbridge and Malling Community Safety Partnership (CSP) produces an annual plan which sets out the objectives that the Partnership will work towards to address community safety issues in the Borough over the coming year. The Plan is based on a Strategic Assessment that looks at current data and trends to address the priorities for the Borough in reducing and tackling crime and disorder. This year the CSP has agreed to focus on four key priorities, and these will be explained in further details later in the document.
The Community Safety landscape is ever changing and the problems we face are becoming increasingly more complex. The CSP recognises the challenges in addressing these issues and operates alongside a number of cooperating bodies and other multi-agency partnerships. Over the coming year, the CSP will continue to work with partners to address the many issues identified within the agreement, taking into account new duties and strategic plans, such as the Serious Violence Duty, the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and Tackling Domestic Abuse action plan. Issues such as the significant rise in the cost of living; the invasion of Ukraine with millions of people forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring countries; the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing disruption to imports / exports causing supply chain bottlenecks. Inevitably these global and local issues will impact on the lives of residents and in turn the work of the partnership, but we will keep working together throughout the year ahead and continue to adapt plans as needed.
The Community Safety Partnership continues to develop and work to address different issues as they arise. The Community Safety Unit, based at Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council offices, Kings Hill is the operational arm of the Community Safety Partnership and meets on a weekly basis to share information about vulnerable people and other topics of concern.
During the year the CSP continued to hold a number of different meetings to help tackle the priorities. These meetings included the Serious and Organised Crime Group, the Vulnerable Persons Group and the District Contextual Safeguarding Group.
Funding for Community Safety Partnerships from the PCC has been confirmed for 2025/26 and we will use this to address our local priorities. We need to ensure that we work to reflect the priorities of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and that the use of the funding reflects these priorities.