Asbo yobs and alcohol-fuelled criminals are being warned to toe the line or pay the price. Reporter SARA NELSON spoke to the new north Kent area commander about his plans to lick criminals into shape ...

CHIEF Superintendent Gary Beautridge has issued a stark warning just weeks before he takes up his post, following the departure of Superintendent Martin Hewitt.

With 26 years of policing under his belt, Mr Beautridge is promising to come down hard and fast on yob culture and drunken violence.

As the commander of 362 police officers and 17 Police Community Support Officers, he is responsible for the policing needs of the 181,600 residents who make up north Kent.

As the holiday season approaches and 24-hour drinking gets under way, the father-of-three admits to having concerns about the effect the new licensing laws will have on both the public and the police.

He said: "I am relatively nervous about the introduction of these new arrangements because it may mean there are fewer resources through the daytime hours to deal with the increased demand at night.

"If people want to have a good time, then please have a good time.

"But be respectful of other people and other people's property."

He added: "If you step over the line, then the message I'm sending to my officers is: we will jump on you."

Mr Beautridge is also keen to substantiate the link between alcohol and crime and respond with appropriate action.

He said: "If someone is drunk and they assault somebody or they kick a shop window, they are dealt with for the assault or the criminal damage.

"If we can link their alcohol-fuelled behaviour to criminality then I would like to see us put conditions on the conduct of their lives through Asbos or bail conditions."

He added: "By stopping them drinking or visiting certain areas or licensed premises for a set period we will be making an impact on their social and personal lives. This is how it's going to be."

As with his predecessor Supt Hewitt, who is moving to the Met Police, Mr Beautridge is also promising to take anti-social behaviour and yob culture to task.

He said: "It is a fact some young people do not follow the same conventions of good behaviour which I did when I was a youngster and there are different standards of respect.

"Asbos are the armoury of the police and partner agencies to bring about some degree of control over these people and we will use them.

"My strategy is to galvanise and refine the existing policing and bring rigour and energy towards the targeting of the very small minority of offenders who commit a disproportionately large number of crimes."

News Shopper published figures last month which saw north Kent police greeting the news of a 10-per-cent increase in overall crime is "encouraging" evidence of the public's confidence in reporting crime.

Mr Beautridge admits: "It is encouraging people can actually access the police and make a demand on their services if they have a legitimate claim.

"However, I do not want to see year-on-year increases in crime, particularly priority crime such as sexual offences, violence, hate crime, burglary and car crime."

He added: "I want to bring about an era of crime reduction in north Kent and I am very confident we will reduce all crime within a year."

Mr Beautridge will take up his post as top cop for north Kent in mid-December and hopes to set new policing targets for 2006/07 before Christmas.

Commander's journey to the top

Gary Beautridge's career history:

  • April 1979: Joined Kent police
  • June 1979: Police Constable at Gillingham
  • Jan 1981: Detective Constable at Gillingham
  • August 1985: Police Sergeant at Sheerness
  • November 1985: Detective Sergeant (Det Sgt) at Rochester
  • January 1987: Det Sgt Drug Squad
  • June 1990: Det Sgt Gillingham
  • August 1983: Det Sgt National Crime Squad
  • August 1997: Detective Inspector at Maidstone
  • November 1999: Detective Chief Inspector at Medway
  • April 2002: Superintendent, area commander at Canterbury
  • January 2002: Chief Superintendent Area Operations Force Headquarters responsible for nine policing areas and tactical operations department
  • January 2005: Detective Chief Superintendent, national programme manager for police reform agenda Professionalising the Investigation Process
  • December 2005: Area commander north Kent