Meet the VRU Team
Members of the VRU team have experience and qualifications in crime investigation and intelligence, youth offending, adolescent early help and family support, youth work, data analysis and project management.
Below you can meet our team and find out a bit more about each team member:
CH/INSPECTOR Elizabeth Jones
VRU DIRECTOR - CHIEF INSPECTOR
Chief Inspector Lizzie Jones is the director of Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). She has served as a police officer since 2006, working within the Metropolitan Police Service and Kent Police.
Find out more about Lizzie here: Meet Elizabeth Jones - Kent & Medway VRU Director
Gary Painter
VRU CO-ORDINATOR
"I have worked for Kent Police since 2007 as a Police Community Support Officer, Supervisor, Police Officer and I am currently now a Police Staff member working as a VRU Co-ordinator.
I have spent most of career directly involved in community safety and partnership agency roles, working alongside district councils, Early Help, Social Workers, Youth Justice Workers and various charities. All of which has been aimed at supporting young people in the community, finding ways to keep people safe and giving them the best chance to have a positive future."
EMMA CLARK
VRU CO-ORDINATOR
"I have worked for Kent Police for over 20 years. I have operational knowledge and experience in different roles across the force including crime management, being an investigator and a team manager.
All of my roles have involved working with partner agencies, using a collaborative approach to tackle the issues faced."
Joanne Robson
VRU CO-ORDINATOR
"During my 27 years with Kent Police I have undertaken various roles, all of which have provided me with experience, knowledge, and resources that I now bring to the VRU co-ordinator role.
Using my previous experiences of early intervention and collaborative working I look forward to supporting and educating young people, helping to build safer communities, and working to build a positive, safer future."
swanny cheema
VRU CO-ORDINATOR
This is my 26th year working for Kent Police, starting off in the control room and then having carried out many different roles, predominantly around child protection investigations. I wanted to work for the VRU due to my experience in working with children and young people and knowing of the great work that the VRU does.
Chris Howard
ANALYST
I have worked for Kent Police for over 10 years, beginning my career as a Police Officer before moving into police staff roles seven years ago. For the last five years, I have worked as an analyst across multiple teams. Alongside my professional career, I have spent more than 20 years volunteering with organisations that support young people. Combining these experiences, I provide analytical insight to support the prevention of vulnerability and criminality among young people, helping to inform safeguarding and early intervention approaches.
Claire Read
ANALYST TEAM LEADER
"I have worked for Kent Police for over 30 years, with at least 20 years of analytical experience across various themes.
In more recent years my roles have involved partnership working and using a collaborative approach in analysis to identify strategic and tactical aims with a focus on the vulnerability or criminality of young people".
SHU-YANG CHIA
VRU ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
I am brand new to the world of Kent Police, having been a software engineer for the best part of a decade.