Aylesbury’s new deputy area commander has been getting stuck in to his new role and says he’s determined to make himself ‘approachable’.
Chief inspector Neil Kentish joined Thames Valley Police less than a month ago after serving in the Metropolitan police force for 14 years.
And though the role is still very new to him, he has praised his team and says he wants to find out what issues matter to people in Aylesbury.
He said: “I have a very positive team and they genuinely care about what they do.
“The people of Aylesbury already have confidence in the force so it’s about maintaining that confidence, tackling anti-social behaviour, understanding the local community and alleviating people’s concerns.
During his time with the Met, chief insp Kentish – who lives in Milton Keynes with his wife and children – was one of the first neighbourhood officers to patrol White Hart Lane in Tottenham, London.
He says one of the reasons behind the move to Thames Valley was that he wanted a ‘challenge’.
And he’s already noticed a ‘refreshing’ difference with how things are here in Bucks.
He said: “I was sat in a coffee shop in the town centre the other day in my uniform, and people were coming up to speak to me and engage with me. It makes a refreshing change!