Kent marine community benefits from engagement visits

The Kent marine community has benefited from a joint deployment of the force’s Search and Marine Unit and Counter Terrorism Policing Borders as well as Border Force.

On Sunday 24 September, officers from the teams spent the day patrolling the Thames Estuary and River Medway on Kent Police’s RHIB Invicta.

They visited Cuxton Marina, Medway Bridge Marina, Port Medway Marina and Gillingham and Chatham marinas where they not only provided advice and support around reporting maritime suspicious events but also gathered intelligence relating to suspicious vessels and people. Local sailing and rowing clubs and the RNLI were also visited.

The Invicta is the main vessel for use in Kent tidal waters, with a number of other smaller vessels used for inland rivers and lakes around Kent.

Detective Sergeant Matthew Whitlock said: ‘The joint events are extremely important pieces of work, providing reassurance to the public that we are working together to mitigate any threat and risk in the small ports environment.

‘We are committed to protect our maritime community against anyone that abuses the water areas to conduct criminal activity.’

Kent Police’s Search and Marine Unit is responsible for assisting with counter terrorism policing, tackling serious and organised crime, conducting searches, carrying out security operations and supporting partner agencies with marine incidents within our territorial waters, to which UK laws extend.