Downs West

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team is made up of Kent Police beat officers who are dedicated to keeping your community safe. They focus on preventing crime and antisocial behaviour, responding to local concerns, and building strong relationships with residents, community groups and local businesses.

Our officers will:

patrol to deter crime and reassure the public
hold regular engagement activities in the area, including attending community meetings to share advice and listen to concerns
work with partner agencies including councils, schools, charities, and local groups
tackle issues like antisocial behaviour, repeat offending, and vulnerability
build trust by being visible, approachable, and responsive

Neighbourhood policing is a key part of Kent Police’s commitment to being community-focused, visible, and responsive.

Report crime

Please do not contact neighbourhood officers to report crime.

If it's not an emergency, the easiest way to contact us is online. Your report will be sent direct to our control room where it will be reviewed by the same team who answer our calls.

in an emergency, call 999
call 101 for non-emergency enquiries

Downs West Local Policing Team

Aaron Hopkins

Police Constable

Local Priority Issues

Priority	Action taken
Road safety issues. Issued 17 July 2026	Across 3 separate days of action as well as spontaneous incidents, there has been an increase in road safety checks with a focus on speeding. Over 25 speeding tickets have been issued across the 3 days of action particularly on the A252. We have also had dedicated road safety operations in collision hotspots including the A20 Hythe Road, Smeeth following recent collisions. We continue to work with local parish councils for SpeedWatch schemes and focus on local areas of concern for the community. Actioned 30 September 2026
Wildlife crime issues. Issued 17 July 2026	We have been attending calls of poaching in the local community with the Rural Task Force. Following recent reports of poaching in the Westwell, Eastwell and Charing area, individuals were disturbed by police attendance and their vehicle seized for further investigation. A further vehicle was seized in the same circumstances in the Brabourne area that was also linked to wildlife crime in Sussex. Enquiries are ongoing with other forces to identify the persons involved and take robust action. We continue to proactively patrol hotspot areas reported and stop and disrupt suspicious vehicles. We encourage residents to continue to report suspicious behaviour. Actioned 30 September 2026
Fly tipping. Issued 17 July 2026	We have been completing joint patrols with Ashford Borough Council targeting fly tipping in the local community. Through shared intelligence we have targeted illegal waste carriers through proactive stops and compliance checks. We have further dedicated day of action planned in the near future following feedback at local parish council meetings and the wider community. Actioned 30 September 2026

Priority

Action taken

Road safety issues.

Issued 17 July 2026

Across 3 separate days of action as well as spontaneous incidents, there has been an increase in road safety checks with a focus on speeding. Over 25 speeding tickets have been issued across the 3 days of action particularly on the A252. We have also had dedicated road safety operations in collision hotspots including the A20 Hythe Road, Smeeth following recent collisions. We continue to work with local parish councils for SpeedWatch schemes and focus on local areas of concern for the community.

Actioned 30 September 2026

Wildlife crime issues.

Issued 17 July 2026

We have been attending calls of poaching in the local community with the Rural Task Force. Following recent reports of poaching in the Westwell, Eastwell and Charing area, individuals were disturbed by police attendance and their vehicle seized for further investigation. A further vehicle was seized in the same circumstances in the Brabourne area that was also linked to wildlife crime in Sussex. Enquiries are ongoing with other forces to identify the persons involved and take robust action. We continue to proactively patrol hotspot areas reported and stop and disrupt suspicious vehicles. We encourage residents to continue to report suspicious behaviour.

Actioned 30 September 2026

Fly tipping.

Issued 17 July 2026

We have been completing joint patrols with Ashford Borough Council targeting fly tipping in the local community. Through shared intelligence we have targeted illegal waste carriers through proactive stops and compliance checks. We have further dedicated day of action planned in the near future following feedback at local parish council meetings and the wider community.

Actioned 30 September 2026