Public Enquiry Officer (Tonbridge & Swanley)

Location of Role: Swanley, Tonbridge 

Advert Closing Date: 11/11/2026 

Starting Salary: £25,809.00 (pro-rata for part-time vacancies)

Part/Full Time: Full Time 

Contract Type: Permanent 

Working Pattern: Mon-Fri 

Weekend/Evening Working: Yes 

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Kent Police as a Public Enquiry Officer, working at the heart of our public-facing service. This rewarding and varied role offers the chance to make a real difference by supporting members of the public, colleagues and partner agencies with a wide range of enquiries. We have vacancies at Tonbridge and Swanley Police Station.

As a Public Enquiry Officer, you will be the first point of contact for many people seeking assistance from Kent Police. You will provide a professional, compassionate and efficient service, ensuring that all enquiries are handled accurately and appropriately.

Working as part of the Public Enquiry Team, you will:

• Welcome and assist members of the public attending police stations.
• Record accurate and detailed reports of crime, including recent and historical incidents.
• Gather and communicate relevant information for investigation and further action.
• Manage enquiries from colleagues, partner agencies and external organisations.
• Support bail signers and signpost individuals to the most appropriate agency or service.
• Handle station post, deliveries and administrative tasks.
• Ensure all interactions are managed with professionalism, empathy and respect.

This role operates on a rotating 4-week shift pattern, with hours generally between 09:00 and 17:00, including some weekends. There will be a requirement to provide cover at other stations within your division and occasionally travel outside your division.

We are seeking highly motivated individuals who thrive in a busy, people-focused environment and are committed to delivering exceptional customer service.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Experience of working with the public, including in challenging or pressurised situations.
• A strong commitment to treating everyone with dignity, fairness and respect.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to make sound decisions independently and manage multiple tasks effectively.
• Confidence in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• A proactive and adaptable approach to changing demands and priorities.
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a wider team.

Successful candidates will have:

• Proven customer service experience.
• Experience of following policies, procedures and protocols.
• Good keyboard and IT skills.
• Confidence using computer systems and databases.

Training will be provided; however, knowledge of policing systems such as STORM, Athena and PNC would be advantageous.

This opportunity would suit a dynamic and customer-focused individual who wants to play an important role in supporting local communities. As a Public Enquiry Officer, you will help ensure that every member of the public receives a safe, professional and welcoming experience when contacting Kent Police.

For more information about the role, please contact Sam Oatway: Samantha.Oatway@kent.police.uk

Kent Police offer incremental increases within this salary band, therefore the salary for this position will rise to a maximum of £29,424.00.

For the full job description please click here.

Your application for this role will be shortlisted on the content you provide within the “reason for application” question, within the application form itself. CV’s, covering letters or attachments are not included in the shortlist. Within your “reason for application” answer, please refer to any experience, skills, and abilities you feel you have that will make you suitable for this role, based on the role criteria stated in the job advert or job description. Please provide as much detail as possible as insufficient content may mean you do not meet the shortlisting criteria, however please note this question is limited to 9000 characters and this system will count spaces and blank lines as characters. This count may differ from the Microsoft Word word count function therefore you may wish to use a different online character counter to check the characters used.

All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance.  During the recruitment process you will be sent vetting information forms to complete. 

Kent Police and Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status.

Please let us know if you require extra support at any stage of the application process, or for further information regarding this position, please email us at recruitment.business.services@ecis.police.uk stating ‘Application Support and Adjustments’ in the title of your email. Alternatively, you can call us on 01245 452833. Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

If you’re not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain. If you’re from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn’t apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.