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As figures show a spike in violence in central Maidstone, reporter Temi Adedeji spends an evening in the town to find out for himself if it really is becoming lawless, as one councillor fears...
It’s 6.20pm at the canon in Maidstone High Street.
A dog barks in the distance as a group of men sit and drink at the marble seats near the bus stop.
A burly man with a walking stick spits on the cold concrete as he walks past me, all the while a bicycle lies in the middle of the square.
I’m in Kent’s County Town to see just how bad it's become at night.
Conservative leader Cllr David Burton recently talked of the “darkness” that lurked in certain parts of central Maidstone and recent crime statistics seem to back that up, with a 14% rise in violent and sexual offences in the last five years.
The town’s rate, at 47 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, was 6% higher than the Kent average last year.
Maidstone High Street itself recorded more than three times the number of violent and sexual offences than any other district in the borough in December - the most recent month for which figures are available.
But statistics only tell you half of the story.
I take a deep breath, worried they would think I was a police officer, and introduced myself to a group hunched over among some empty beer cans in the square.
A woman exclaims “we’re not interested”.
Though, as I speak to them more, they warm up to me.
The man in the middle, who appears to head the group, explains he has been through too much trouble recently, revealing a scar on his forehead.
One thing I took from the brief encounter was that while violence was commonplace here, talking about it was not encouraged.
As I make my up the High Street I pass the junction with Pudding Lane, where just six weeks ago, Weavering dad Wayne Duck was fatally attacked. The 43-year-old died in hospital after being punched twice in a fight which broke out at 7.45pm on a Thursday.
I feel a similar chill as I pass Jubilee Square, where London student Andre Bent was stabbed to death in a night of bloodshed following a gig by MoStack at Gallery nightclub in 2019, and make my way past McDonald’s in Week Street, where father-of-three Wayne Chester was killed with a single punch after confronting a gang of youths in 2017.
The fast food joint hit the headlines again last month after a security guard there was videoed tussling with some teenagers - he was allegedly racially abused and had a drink thrown at him.
By now I had reached the infamous Brenchley Gardens, a place which Lib Dem Cllr David Naghi has described as “lawless”.
He has called for more police to man the streets and for the notorious park to be locked up at night.
I have heard lots of stories about the place - stabbings, discarded needles and illicit drug exchanges - though this would be the first time I would step through the gates. I can hear young people talking in the distance - the acrid smell of cannabis smoke lingers in the air.
I curve round the path which reveals a group of teenagers. Some girls in their school uniforms are chatting with some boys, one of which is smoking a spliff.
Having grown up in a rough neighbourhood, I’m no stranger to occupants of dark spaces. I introduce myself and ask the drug-taking 17-year-old, who tells me his name is Buddy, his view on the town. It wasn’t a positive one, or repeatable here. He continued: “There’s gavvers (police) left right and centre.”
I ask the group what Brenchley Gardens is like, which draws groans and sighs.
One girl shouts from the back: “It’s basically for crackheads,” while another boy tells me: “You don’t want to be here at night mate.”
The worst thing they’ve seen? They agree it was watching a 15-year-old girl being pinned down by police.
Another boy tells me: “You’ll find every drug in here, most of them are down where the bushes are, where there’s no cameras.
"You can just go to the bottom and do whatever you want.”
I take a detective style flash-light in that direction. But while I don’t find anything untoward on this occasion, the marks left by criminality in this area of Maidstone are everywhere - not least in the trauma felt by its victims and their families.
Naomi White knows all about this.
Her brother Wayne Chester was just 50 when he was killed after a night out at the Duke of Marlborough pub.
In a matter of minutes his life would be taken after he met 16-year-old Andre King, who punched him after a confrontation in the doorway of McDonald’s.
Naomi described how King, in seconds, had robbed her brother of the opportunity to meet his grandson, adding: “Nobody deserves their life to be taken like that.”
Naomi wants to see more bobbies on the beat and less reliance on CCTV.
She said: “I don’t walk through the town or go to McDonald’s in the evening on my own. It’s not like the old days, everyone seems intent on causing as much damage as they can.”
But what’s being done to combat the rise in crime? In October 2020 Kent Police launched a dedicated unit to tackle violent crime and protect vulnerable people from exploitation.
Made up of police officers working alongside Maidstone Borough Council’s Community Protection Team.
The Urban Blue Bus volunteers continue their tireless efforts on Friday nights, helping to keep people safe in the town centre with medical and welfare support.
“Hotspot policing” was also introduced in September 2021 to tackle violent crime, drug offences and social disorder in high crime rate areas in Kent.
Kent is one of 18 forces across the country who shared an extra £4.2m funding from the government to support the move.
Ch Insp Steve Kent, of the Maidstone Community Safety Unit, insisted some types of crimes, including violence against the person, were actually falling year-on-year in the town.
These offences include aggressive acts that do not result in somebody getting injured - and have decreased by 5% since 2018/19.
Additionally, the number of reported sexual offences over the same period has fallen by 28% from 673 to 486.
He continued: "Maidstone has a bustling retail centre and vibrant night-time economy and we work in close partnership with the town’s other agencies so that those living, working or visiting the area feel safe and reassured.
"The town centre benefits from a dedicated team of officers, who regularly patrol on foot in uniform and in plain clothes and are able to respond swiftly to reports of incidents.
"We take advantage of every opportunity to reduce crime including, for example, ongoing community projects helping to reduce instances of violence against women and girls.
"The team also works proactively using tools such as knife arches and dispersal areas to enhance public safety and deter offenders.
"Our officers know those who persistently offend and will swiftly bring them to justice when a crime is committed.
"We work closely with partners to impose community protection warnings and notices where appropriate, and will not hesitate to enforce the restrictions that are imposed on their conduct.
"In addition to officers who patrol to keep our streets safe, we also have teams dedicated to tackling domestic related crime, bringing offenders to justice and supporting vulnerable victims.
"We take advantage of every opportunity to reduce crime including, for example, ongoing community projects helping to reduce instances of violence against women and girls.
"We work closely with night-time venues, CCTV operators, street pastors, and local authority licencing teams to make the night-time economy a hostile place for those who may seek to exploit others.
"Officers also proactively check on the welfare of vulnerable individuals who may need our assistance.
"Our efforts will be enhanced by the commencement of a town centre task force in June this year, this multi-agency team will be dedicated to addressing anti-social behaviour and violence (particularly in the night-time economy) and protecting young people.
"This work depends on assistance from members of the public and I would urge anyone who has concerns about crime in their area, to make a report via our website or by calling 101. If a crime is in progress, always dial 999.’
