Kent Police
The main argument for the change was that the large number of visitors coming through the Channel Tunnel and the ports would understand the word "Police" more readily than "Constabulary".[5] Kent Police was the first force in the United Kingdom to be led by a black chief constable, Michael Fuller,[citation needed] who held the role from 2004 to 2010.[8] It was further announced in January 2019 that the PCC Matthew Scott was proposing another tax increase in the 2019/20 period in the amount of money Kent Police receive from county residents in order to recruit a further 180 officers by 2020.Kent Police operates the following police stations and offices with public access: Ashford, Canterbury, Cranbrook, Dartford, Dover, Faversham, Folkestone, Gravesend, Herne Bay, Maidstone, Margate, Medway (Gillingham), North Kent (Northfleet), Rainham, Ramsgate, Sevenoaks, Sheerness, Sittingbourne, Swanley, Tonbridge, and Tunbridge Wells.[20] The force is supported by the National Police Air Service, the nearest aircraft operate from Redhill, Surrey and North Weald, Essex.In 2019, a three part Channel 5 documentary, Manhunt: Catch Me If You Can, featured the force's Gypsy Liaison Team, referred to in the show as the 'Specialist Tactical Unit', as they hunted down and arrested some of the county's high priority outstanding suspects, or 'red' offenders.[25] Camera crews for the show inadvertently captured three members of the team entering a property in Walderslade and searching for a wanted arsonist without a warrant or grounds to do so, as well as one of them subsequently verbally abusing the occupants.Cordes failed to show up for a voluntary interview at Canterbury Police Station the following day and PCSOs subsequently found him dead at his home on 18 April; his death was a suicide.[37] On 28 Aug 2001, serving Kent Police officer Karl Bluestone murdered his wife and two of his four children before committing suicide at his home in Gravesend.[39] On 11 June 2007, Kent Police shot and lawfully killed Anne Sanderson after she pointed what was later identified as an air pistol towards armed officers in Sevenoaks.[41] On 29 December 2007, Kent Police shot and lawfully killed Dayniel Tucker after he pointed what was later identified as a plastic Uzi towards armed officers in Stansted.[42] On 26 November 2009, Kent Police shot and wounded Tomas Uptas after he threatened members of the public in the street with what was later identified as a BB gun and then pointed it towards armed officers in a supermarket in Canterbury.Two hundred injured people were triaged at the scene by South East Coast Ambulance Service and 35 were taken to hospitals in Medway, Ashford, Margate, Maidstone, Canterbury, and London.[47] On 2 May 2016, Kent Police shot and lawfully killed William Smith after he pointed a single-barrelled shotgun towards armed officers in Goudhurst when they tried to arrest him for murdering Roy Blackman at his home in Biddenden earlier that year.