Following the departure of Ch Insp Gill Ellis, who has moved to take up a post at Kent Police headquarters, the Sevenoaks district of West Kent has a new chief officer.

Ch Insp David Cooper is now district commander for Sevenoaks. Talking about his appointment he said:

‘Over the last 3 years all crime in the Sevenoaks District has fallen from 7948 crimes to 5740 (a decrease of 27%).  Perceptions of anti-social behaviour are now at the lowest level for any district in Kent and the public satisfaction rate is the highest.  This is due to the commitment of the police and partners working together.

I have taken over the district at an exciting time, coinciding with the introduction of a Neighbourhood Task Team, a tactical arm to neighbourhood policing, to target hotspot locations together with the creation of a Community Safety Unit, consisting of police and local authority staff working in the same office to tackle problems together as they arise on a daily basis.

‘I come with 28 years of operational experience, primarily in the North and West Kent policing areas.  I am a family man and have lived in this district for most of my career.  I have a loyalty to the area and intend to help make it the best district in the county.

‘I have spent my first weeks in post meeting each member of my team and identifying opportunities to improve processes and enable my officers to enjoy and perform in their role.  I believe this is the first step to achieving further improvement.

‘These interviews culminated in a training day at which we prioritised a plan of actions to make the necessary improvements and together agreed our intention to “Be supported, equipped and empowered to engage with our communities to improve public confidence”

‘I will be attending each neighbourhood meeting (PACT) and introducing myself to the area and look forward to meeting representatives of each community within the district.’