The Kent Community Safety Partnership (KCSP) met to discuss community safety priorities, review action plans, and receive updates from various working groups and partner organisations. The agenda included updates on the Kent Community Safety Agreement, the Kent and Medway Road Safety Partnership, and the Kent Substance Misuse Strategy. Some items, including a Kent and Medway Domestic Abuse Related Death Review Update, were scheduled to be discussed in a restricted session, not open to the public.

Kent Substance Misuse Strategy Update

The meeting included an update on the Kent Substance Misuse (Drug and Alcohol) Strategy, which runs from 2023 to 2028. The strategy was developed with input from law enforcement, healthcare providers, and community support services, and aims to combat drug and alcohol-related harm. The Kent strategy has 13 key priorities, each with detailed action plans driven forward by subgroups.

The priorities include:

• Prevention, early intervention and behaviour change
• Improving hospital and acute pathways to treatment
• Children and young people living with alcohol misusing parents / Preventing inter-generational alcohol misuse
• Tackling high rates of suicide and self-harm associated with substance misuse
• Continued improvements to Kent treatment and recovery services
• Criminal justice routes to substance misuse treatment
• Improve treatment and recovery for targeted groups / vulnerable People
• Improve pathways to treatment and recovery to rough sleepers
• Improving treatment and recovery for people with co-occurring conditions
• Working in partnership to share data and intelligence in order to identify those at risk of drug / alcohol related harm & exploitation and to provide safeguarding and intensive support
• Disrupting supply of illegal drugs
• Tackling local alcohol supply

The report noted that synthetic opiate and adulterated drugs are becoming more common, which is impacting capacity. It also stated that the use of naloxone¹ needs to become more normalised.

Kent Community Safety Agreement Update

The Kent Community Safety Partnership (KCSP) was scheduled to discuss the Kent Community Safety Agreement (CSA), which outlines the key community safety priorities for the county. According to the Public reports pack, the CSA is a rolling document that is reviewed and refreshed annually.

The priorities listed in the agreement are:

• Preventing Neighbourhood Crime & ASB
• Domestic Abuse
• Violence against women and girls
• Substance Misuse
• Safeguarding Vulnerable People
• Serious Violence and Organised Crime
• Preventing Extremism and Hate
• Road Safety

These priorities are underpinned by cross-cutting themes such as early intervention, prevention and education; reducing re-offending and supporting victims; improving quality of life and enhancing community resilience; supporting mental health and wellbeing; and response and recovery from significant community events.

The KCSP Working Group was reported to be overseeing the delivery of the action plan and monitoring progress. The Public reports pack stated that a report on the key outcomes of the action plan would be presented at the next KCSP meeting in March, and that updates on projects funded by the Crime Reduction Grant² had been provided in the KCSP Working Group report.

The report also noted that the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee met on 2 October 2025 to review the work of the KCSP during 2024/25.

Kent and Medway Road Safety Update

The Kent and Medway Road Safety Partnership (KMSRP) was scheduled to provide an update on the Vision Zero Strategy and the partnership's activities. The Vision Zero Strategy, launched in 2021 by Kent County Council, has the long-term vision of zero road fatalities or life-changing injuries by 2050.

The shorter-term goals for 2021-2026 are:

• Reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
• Develop an evidence base through research and trials.
• Improve collaboration between partners.
• Embed the Safe System approach.
• Promote Vision Zero to the public.
• Increase safety for walking and cycling.

The strategy is based on the 'Safe System' approach to road safety, which involves designing roads and streets to minimise collision risks, enforcing appropriate speed limits, promoting safe behaviour through education and technology, ensuring vehicle safety, and providing post-collision response.

The KMSRP supports the vision for zero road fatalities in Kent by 2050 and the delivery of a Safe System. The partnership has commissioned the development of a joint strategy that will bring together all partners with a formalised agreement and a cohesive vision, with adoption of the strategy anticipated in early 2026.

Kent Community Safety Partnership Working Group Update

The Kent Community Safety Partnership (KCSP) Working Group was scheduled to provide an update on its key activities and projects. The KCSP is supported by a multi-agency working group which has a remit to prepare and monitor the Community Safety Agreement, including the action plan and performance reports, as well as managing the Kent Community Safety fund.

The funding allocation to the KCSP for 2025/26 by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) remained the same as in previous years (£39,661). A third of the funding (£13,221) was placed in a tactical pot for in-year spending, and the PCC approved upfront spending of £24,108.20 for six projects:

• Hateful Extremism Learning Event (£4,000)
• Countering the Extreme Right-Wing Training (£4,182)
• Kent Community Domestic Abuse Champions Branding & Resources (£3,703)
• Teacher in Your Pocket (TEPO) Scams Module (£5,223)
• Responsible Authority Training on the Licensing Act 2003 (£5,000)
• Workshop Involving men and boys in tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (£2,000)

The remaining upfront budget of £2,332.26 was added to the Tactical Pot, leaving the KCSP with £15,553.26 for in year use. The PCC has approved funding for two further projects:

• British Sign Language (BSL) Interpretation to TEPO Doorstep Crime and Scams Modules (£5,500)
• Local Vape Action Retailer Packs (£2,000)

Two further projects have been endorsed by the KCSP Chair and submitted to the PCC for consideration:

• Violence Against Women & Girls Support Champions (£6,095)
• The Anti-Racist School (£1,950)

The KCSP was also scheduled to receive an update on the Kent Community Safety Team (KCST), which has delivered eleven lunchtime Community Safety Information Sessions (CSIS) in 2025, covering topics such as the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), Kent Police's Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Hub, Dangerous Dogs, Rogue Trading, catapult-related concerns, KCC's Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Strategy (2026–2031), the Domestic Abuse Champions project, and the 16 Days of Activism.