Kent Police have launched a crackdown on antisocial behaviour involving catapults after a recent increase in reports. Officers are now seizing catapults and stones from suspects and investigating potential criminal offences, according to a police news release.
The initiative follows a year-over-year reduction in nuisance incidents in several Kent districts, with Maidstone seeing a 5% drop. The police are continuing to conduct patrols in “hotspot” areas to address concerns from residents.
Chief Inspector James Ross said:
‘Since the beginning of June we have received an average of 14 contacts per day that relate to the use or possession of catapults, which sometimes includes multiple reports for the same incident. Whilst this is only around one per district per day, we understand that incidents are likely to be under-reported and are therefore committed to tackling this issue head-on. ‘It is not currently illegal to possess a catapult but if our officers suspect one is being used to commit crime or antisocial behaviour then they will not hesitate to seize and destroy it along with any other items such as ball bearings. They will also make arrests and bring offenders to court if necessary and proportionate. ‘Being visible is the bedrock of our service to the public and we will continue to carry out regular patrols in order to stamp down on this type of unacceptable behaviour.’
‘We are very grateful to everyone who reports incidents to us, which helps us understand which areas would benefit most from regular patrols and who is responsible for these antisocial and criminal acts. ‘Please continue to visit www.kent.police.uk/report to report antisocial behaviour or other non-urgent incidents and always call 999 in an emergency including if a crime is in progress.’