Race Action Plan
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Building trust across Kent
We know that past and present issues have damaged trust in the police. We are committed to taking real action to rebuild that trust. This includes improving how we use our powers, working more closely with our communities.
The Police Race Action Plan is a national commitment to tackling racial disparities, rebuilding trust and improving outcomes for Black communities, both within policing and across the communities we protect and serve. It is led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing, and is shaped locally by Black residents, community leaders, organisations and the experiences and feedback of people in Kent.
Learn more about what we are doing, how you can get involved, and how we are working to make policing fairer across Kent.
Kent is becoming more diverse, but this is not yet reflected in our workforce. We also know that outcomes in the criminal justice system differ between groups, including how stop and search powers are used. We recognise that some Black communities have lower levels of trust and confidence in the police.
We also understand that violence against women and girls affects different communities in different ways. Black women and girls often face extra barriers when seeking help or justice. To address this, we will make sure our responses are culturally aware, victims receive better support, and ethnicity information is recorded more accurately across all cases.
The plan focuses on four work-streams to improve fairness, trust and outcomes for Black communities:
- culture and workforce, building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve
- powers and procedures, ensuring police powers are used fairly and proportionately
- trust and reconciliation, listening to lived experience and involving communities in decision-making
- safety and victimisation, protecting Black people from crime and improving support for victims
We are working to make sure policing in Kent is fair, inclusive and shaped by the people we serve. We are:
- improving representation in recruitment so our workforce better reflects Kent’s communities
- strengthening community engagement by building regular, meaningful relationships with Black communities
- being open about our data, sharing information clearly so people can see how we are performing
- using community feedback to shape our actions, making sure lived experience guides how we police
Further information can be found in our 2026 to 2028 delivery plan.
We have taken a number of steps to build trust, improve fairness and strengthen representation, including:
- increasing support for applicants from Black communities through our Positive Action Team
- providing all staff with training on the Police Race Action Plan
- introducing Black History 365 to deepen understanding of Black history and culture
- publishing stop and search and use of force data every quarter to increase transparency
- hosting two engagement conferences with local communities and universities to share progress and gather feedback
- featuring a race‑focused discussion in a podcast with Shaun White, Colin Burton and Stuart Lawrence - view podcast episode
- featuring a podcast discussion with the Positive Action lead to highlight what support is available - view Positive Action podcast
- delivering media training for visiting Barbadian officers
- offering work‑experience opportunities for Black students in custody healthcare
- continuing to update and strengthen the Police Race Action Plan and its governance
- analysing and addressing disparities in policing outcomes
- taking steps to improve representation and inclusion across our workforce
Strong governance ensures the plan is delivered transparently, consistently and with input from the communities it affects. Oversight takes place at national and local levels to make sure progress is real, measurable and independently reviewed:
- Chief Constable - holds overall responsibility for the Police Race Action Plan
- Deputy Chief Constable - chairs the Diversity and Inclusion Board, which oversees delivery of the Police Race Action Plan in Kent.
- Assistant Chief Constable (Strategic Lead) – coordinates the work across all areas and links it with other key strategies.
- Community Reference Group (CRG) – made up of external members with lived experience who review progress, challenge our approach and help shape local policing.
- Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB) – provides independent, national‑level challenge to ensure fairness, transparency and consistency across all police forces. Find out more about the ISOB.
- Independent Advisory Group (IAG) – local volunteers who act as “critical friends”, providing lived‑experience insight and constructive challenge on issues such as stop and search. Find out more or apply to join the IAG.
We will use the national Maturity Matrix to assess our progress, track improvements and show how we are delivering better outcomes for Black communities.
This assessment will include both:
- quantitative data – such as workforce representation, disproportionality, and victim satisfaction
- qualitative evidence – including staff experiences, community sentiment and feedback from lived experience
To ensure transparency and credibility, independent community reviewers will work with us to assess our progress.
Kent Police will publish a full Maturity Matrix self‑assessment by September 2026, showing our progress against the national standards.
