Kent Police In Catapult Crackdown

A catapult crackdown is in effect across the county as neighbourhood Kent Police officers continue to respond to residents’ concerns about anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Constables and Police Community Support Officers have been taking action to tackle the use of catapults to harm people and wildlife, or to cause criminal damage, by searching anyone suspected of doing so and seizing any items they find. Investigations are also being carried out into possible offences and those found responsible risk being arrested and brought before the courts.

Overall reports of nuisance incidents fell in seven of the county’s 13 policing districts in the year to June 2025 and Kent Police say they are "working hard to continue this positive trend and deploying officers to undertake regular patrols in hotspot locations, tackling the types of anti-social behaviour that matter most to local people including the use of catapults to cause criminal damage and harm to wildlife".

Chief Inspector James Ross told SFM News: "Since the beginning of June we have received an average of 14 contacts per day that relate to the use or possession of catapults, which sometimes includes multiple reports for the same incident. Whilst this is only around one per district per day, we understand that incidents are likely to be under-reported and are therefore committed to tackling this issue head-on. It is not currently illegal to possess a catapult but if our officers suspect one is being used to commit crime or antisocial behaviour then they will not hesitate to seize and destroy it along with any other items such as ball bearings. They will also make arrests and bring offenders to court if necessary and proportionate. Being visible is the bedrock of our service to the public and we will continue to carry out regular patrols in order to stamp down on this type of unacceptable behaviour."

Kent Police also confirmed that they are taking action to tackle crime in problem areas by working with other organisations. This includes making certain places more secure and cracking down on ASB and raising awareness about knife crime in areas that need it most.

Thanks to funding from the PCC’s Crime Reduction Grant, several local projects have been delivered in Swale, including Street Marshalls providing a visible presence in the borough's town centres, support for Street Pastors, youth engagement through gaming bus sessions, a youth graffiti workshop at Sittingbourne Skate Park and the ongoing monitoring of CCTV and deployment of mobile CCTV where needed  including continued enforcement of licensing regulations when required.

Kevin McKenna, MP for Sittingbourne & Sheppey, told SFM News: "these initiatives are about prevention, visibility and meaningful community engagement and I’ll continue to support efforts to make our towns safer for everyone. Tackling anti-social behaviour and keeping our communities safe remains a top priority".

You can report anti-social behaviour directly to kent Police by using their website at: kent.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb-v3/report-antisocial-behaviour/.