Like all Medway residents I was very concerned to read reports of the incident at Medway City Estate on 30th September which had left over a dozen people injured. It was reported by the Medway Messenger that people were “run down like bowling pins” by the Mini Cooper involved in the incident leaving several in a critical condition at the time of submitting this question. Clearly this is totally unacceptable and our thoughts are with all those who have been involved in this incident.
What steps will Medway Council be taking to ensure this sort of incident doesn’t happen here in the future?
Minutes:
“Like all Medway residents I was very concerned to read reports of the incident at Medway City Estate on 30th September which had left over a dozen people injured. It was reported by the Medway Messenger that people were “run down like bowling pins” by the Mini Cooper involved in the incident leaving several in a critical condition at the time of submitting this question. Clearly this is totally unacceptable and our thoughts are with all those who have been involved in this incident.
What steps will Medway Council be taking to ensure this sort of incident doesn’t happen here in the future?”
Councillor Gulvin stated that he would like to extend his thanks to the emergency services who dealt with the issue and also offered his condolences to those who were badly injured. He understood that most of them were now recovering well which was good news.
He stated that the Council, as one of the strategic partners in the Community Safety Partnership, worked closely with the Police who had primacy in dealing with offences on the road.
Since March 2016 through the Community Safety Partnership, Kent Fire and Rescue Service had been patrolling Medway City Estate on Friday and Saturday evenings as an opportunity to promote road safety messages. Since that time, the Community Policing Team had also been on site to disperse nuisance motorists with a section 34 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which gave officers powers to disperse people from the area.
He stated that he had visited the area last Friday evening and was able to see, first hand, the work being undertaken by the Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service and he wished to thank them for the work they were doing.
Community Policing Team Officers were, in fact, present on the Medway City Estate and in the process of enforcing the dispersal order when the incident occurred on 30 September. Community Policing Team Officers would continue to conduct speed checks at the location and on neighbouring roads and liaise with the Special Constabulary and Roads Policing Sergeants to secure additional resources.
He stated that Medway City Estate was being discussed at the monthly Community Safety Partnership Operations Meeting, as well as being discussed at weekly conference calls with Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Community Wardens, where the Council had, and would continue to seek, partners’ attendance at Medway City Estate.
Kent Police would continue to authorise a section 34 dispersal power and the Community Policing Team would provide additional high visibility policing at Medway City Estate for the next two weekends along with Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Through the daily conference calls with Kent Fire and Rescue Service, the Council would continue to request them carrying out high visibility patrolling when available.
He concluded by stating that a visit had been arranged for people that were gathering on the Medway City Estate to visit the new road safety centre adjacent to the Airport and he understood that a special evening was being arranged to give them the use of that facility. He encouraged all Members to visit the facility and to encourage young people to also visit the facility.