Ann Barnes

Time is flying by and there's only six months to the new incoming Police and Crime Commissioners. There is an awful lot of work going on behind the scenes, not just locally but nationally as well.

A new national interim board has been set up that will act as...

You might have seen local coverage over the weekend on potential closures to Kent Police buildings. I have to say that personally the key to success of any change is absolute transparency and engagement.

Members actually agreed in principle for the Chief Constable to push ahead with rationalising operational police...

What a dire weekend, the weather was terrible.

Lots in the news today of the rise in cannabis farms around the UK with media reports that the police are discovering 21 factories daily in Britain, you wouldn't believe but that's a street value of £100million. Here in Kent I'm...

I was amazed at an article in the Observer over the weekend. There are always loopholes but I was staggered by this one. See what you think. Here is the article

Currently police staff and officers who work under the direction and control of the Chief...

Football has been making the headlines lately. Chelsea thrashed Tottenham 5-1 last Sunday, not sure how the blues will get on playing my team, Liverpool, in the FA Cup final, but I'm definitely rooting for the reds.

Closer to home and football also made the headlines over policing costs for...

I've been away over the Easter break at my brother's wedding and two issues arose. The Home Office announced their requirements to give extra powers to the UK Government Communications Headquarters to have access to our emails, text messages, Skype calls etc. From a police perspective it's an additional weapon...

April already - can't quite believe where the time has gone since Christmas!

I'm busy writing to the Policing Minister, Nick Herbert, to invite him to the launch of our new initiative called STATUS - Stay Safe and Tell us - an online platform that will offer young people a...

Another busy week - back to back meetings yesterday - I had my regular catch up with my Chief Executive and then met with the Kent Police Federation about the implementation of the new Kent Policing Model from their perspective. Finally I saw the Chief Constable who was on leave...

I have spent since Sunday evening in Solihull at the Association of Police Authorities Transition Conference which was all about getting ready for a seamless change from Police Authorities to Police and Crime Commissioners in November.

There is an awful lot of work going on locally and nationally and...

There was lots of media interest over the weekend about the actual number of officers responding to 999 calls diminishing nationally. I am always very conscious about bald statistics as they often add little to a debate and can cloud an important issue.

Looking at the numbers for Kent, it's...

There has been a lot in the media over the weekend about Surrey and West Midlands police asking private security firms to bid for contracts to run services currently carried out by police officers, such as investigating crime and patrolling neighbourhoods. It seems that everyone has a view on this...

I've just returned from West Africa and had a wonderful break with lots of sunshine.

This week I'm really looking forward to our Safer Kent Awards event on Friday at Leeds Castle. It's not often that you get the chance to sit back and reflect on just how hard people...

This year's budget setting meeting was a tough one. Police Authority members unanimously made a decision last week to accept a Government grant of £2.6million rather than increase the council tax precept. It's such a tough time for families and we really had to consider them and the burden that...

I was at the launch of a new super IT project last week, the first in the country. The project known as 'Athena' involves seven forces using the same IT provisions to record data in the same way. This is great news for the taxpayers of the county. It's bad...

Gloucester Police have publically expressed concerns at the financial pressures facing them with Chief Constable Melville describing it as a 'metaphorical cliff edge.'

We're very lucky here in Kent that we're managing despite having to cut £50million during a four year period. The Authority and Force have done a really...

Well I have to say that watching the play One Man, Two Guvnors last week was hilarious and I would definitely recommend going to see the play. It had me in stitches. James Corden (Smithy from Gavin and Stacey) was the star of the show, but everyone who performed in...

The Authority hosted the first national Police and Crime Commissioner conference focusing on the changes ahead.

Police Authorities and the old style Local Authority Committees have been around for 48 years. That's a long time and a lot of corporate memory to tap into. From the...

It's 2012 already and despite the gloom and doom in the high street, unemployment at worrying levels and dismal financial forecasts, there are many reasons to be cheerful and reassured about the state of policing in our wonderful county. I should say that I am an eternal optimist, so let...

Well, what a very busy time we have had! As the APA Portfolio holder for National Events, I was busy helping to organise and support the APA Transition to PCCs Seminar in Coventry, with speakers from all part of the police world - APA, APACE, HMIC, ACPO, NPIA and even...

It was nice to have an extra hour in bed on Sunday, but aren't the dark evenings miserable?

We started the week with a Police Authority Breakfast Seminar - actually, it was a Cup of Coffee and a Danish Pastry Seminar, as we are all on an economy drive these...