Only 29% of people completing a countywide survey believed that Kent Police is doing a good job.

The disappointing figure was revealed in the latest Neighbourhood Alert member survey which was returned by 2,284 people in Kent who had previously signed up to the police My Community Voice Kent service.

My Community Voice sends out regular bulletins about current scams, local crimes, and police initiatives.

The survey of Kent members was conducted in October last year at the same time as surveys of similar schemes across the country, allowing the Kent figures to be compared with a national average. The results have just been published.

Across the country, 34% of respondents thought their local force was doing a good job.

Kent also fared below the national average in responses to other questions.

Asked whether they felt Kent police officers had good local connections, 48% thought they did, while the national average was 52%.

Some 36% thought Kent Police understood the community’s issues (national average 40%) and 33% thought police took their local concerns seriously (national average 37%).

On the positive side, 52% of people felt Kent Police did want to know about their concerns and issues, which was greater than the national average of 49%.

The respondents were generally much happier with the Neighbourhood Alert Scheme itself. Eighty per cent said they found the Neighbourhood Alert Scheme useful, with 34% of people saying that they believed that the information they had received through the scheme had helped to prevent their falling victim to crime themselves.

Detective Chief Superintendent Shaun White said: “As a force graded as ‘good’ by the independent policing inspectorate in areas including the prevention of crime and protecting vulnerable people, we recognise the importance of listening to the views of the communities we serve.

“We are grateful to the 2,284 users who took the time to respond to the October 2023 Neighbourhood Alert survey and assure them their views have been heard and will be acted upon.”

“We are always looking at ways to improve the service we provide to the 1.9 million people who live in Kent, whether that is through officers supporting victims and witnesses of crime, liaising with community stakeholders or engaging with approximately 700,000 people who follow our social media channels.”

The new Labour government has announced it is axing a £932,000 grant that Kent Police was due to receive to support an anti-social behaviour policing initiative.

Mike Douglas, the product director for Neighbourhood Alert, said: “Several of the survey questions highlighted important perceptions about local policing.

“Across the UK, more than 108,000 people responded.

“Many police forces have already adjusted their approaches based on these findings, and many are reviewing their results to see how changes they are making have impacted public trust and perceptions.“

The Neighbourhood Alert survey figures do not tally up with the results of a questionnaire issued earlier by the Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott.

His survey, which was reported in February this year, showed that nearly 40% of respondents thought Kent Police was doing "well" or "extremely well."

A total of 4,538 people responded to Mr Scott’s survey.