🚔 More Than Policing: Building Trust at James Street 🚔

🚔 More Than Policing: Building Trust at James Street 🚔

📍 Community Action at James Street Basketball Court

Today, officers from Kent Police joined residents and partner agencies at James Street for a knife crime awareness and community engagement event in the heart of the community.

While knife crime prevention was the focus, the day was really about conversations, relationships and positive opportunities for young people.

⚽ Football and 🥊 boxing activities proved hugely popular, bringing local young people together in a positive environment. Competition naturally brings challenges, frustration and disagreements, but it also creates opportunities to talk about respect, self-control and dealing with conflict without violence.

Alongside the activities, officers and partners spent time speaking directly with residents, carrying out reassurance visits and listening to concerns from those who live in the area.

Communities often see us on their worst days. Through events like this, we want residents to see us in a different light, building relationships, supporting young people and working alongside partners to make neighbourhoods safer.

Today's event is only the beginning. We are committed to delivering more community engagement events in the future, creating further opportunities for residents to meet local officers, access support services and help shape the work being carried out in their area.

✌️ A simple gesture, a powerful message: choose respect over fear, community over conflict and peace over violence.

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported today's event. 💙

#CommunityPolicing #KnifeCrimePrevention #JamesStreet #Gillingham #KentPolice #PositiveChoices #SaferCommunities #EngagementMatters