If so, Hertfordshire Constabulary is asking people to please consider the following advice to help you stay safe and prevent distress being caused to others:
- Never go trick or treating alone and always take an adult with you.
- Don’t knock on the doors of strangers.
- Only visit houses where there are signs that trick or treaters are welcome, such as Halloween decorations and pumpkins outside.
- Keep your Halloween ‘tricks’ safe - damage to property or hurting someone is a crime. Threatening and abusive behaviour can amount to an offence too.
- Remember road safety rules, particularly after dark.
- Wear something bright so that drivers can see you.
Additional police patrols will be taking place.
 |
|
The Hertsmere CSP in partnership with the SAFE team at the Community Security Trust (CST) delivered two Women’s Safety Talks in the borough.
Forty people attended the safety talks covering risk assessments, conflict management, stalking and safety on the streets.
Feedback from residents included that the talk was "essential to hear".
|
Cllr Louise Nicolas, elected councillor for Bushey North ward, has been appointed to raise awareness and champion action to prevent violence against women and girls.
The role has been designed to support the council’s efforts in addressing violence against women and girls in our communities.
To proactively address these issues by working closely with communities, partner agencies and local organisations, support victims as well as educate men and young boys about the consequences of certain behaviours and attitudes.
|
Do you know someone interested in police work, aged between 13 and 18, looking to develop a range of skills, help their local community and have fun? Then tell them about the volunteer police cadets.
Hertfordshire Police Cadets are involved in a wide range of activities and events. As well as learning about police procedures and the law, cadets also play a vital role in community events, engaging with members of the public and educating people on crime prevention. Specialist departments such as the tri-force Armed Policing Unit and Dog Unit also give regular talks.
The role of a cadet is extremely varied and you will develop a wide range of skills while having fun and helping your local community. Groups also participate in many exciting outdoor activities such as: white-water rafting, weekend holidays and summer camps, court visits and foot patrol at local music festivals.
Cadet groups are led by police officers, PCSOs and volunteers who support young people in their development. Groups are open to all and you do not have to have ambitions to work within the police force.
Apply here or email HertsmereHVPC@herts.police.uk.
In July, over 50 professionals received training on County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation delivered by the St Giles Trust.
Topics included grooming and county lines, social media and knife crime. The training was delivered in collaboration with Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council using some funding received from the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Awareness talks were also held in two secondary schools in July. Over 500 students received talks from Alison Cope on knife crime, grooming and county lines.
|
Hertfordshire Constabulary is reminding drivers to regularly review the security of their vehicles.
There are several steps you can take to help deter opportunist thieves:
- Always ensure that all windows and doors are fully locked and secure before leaving your vehicle unattended. Using a good quality steering wheel lock can also be an effective deterrent.
- Keyless entry vehicles are often targeted by criminals using signal relay equipment, which can pick up the fob signal from outside a home and use it to unlock and start vehicles. Using a signal blocking pouch, such as a Faraday bag, or storing your key fob and any spare keys in a metal box can help prevent the equipment from working effectively. If possible, turn off the wireless signals on your fob when not in use and ensure that keys are kept as far away from vehicles as possible.
- If your vehicle has a tracker, make sure it is activated. You could also consider concealing a small ‘tracking tag’ inside your vehicle to help trace it should it go missing.
- Consider installing CCTV and security lighting to act as a deterrent. Noisy gravel can also alert you to the presence of someone on your driveway.
- Never leave valuable items in your vehicle, not even in the glove box or boot, and keep all possessions out of sight. Even things such as loose change, sunglasses and clothing can be enough to entice an opportunist thief.
- We’d always recommend that tools are removed from vehicles too. If it’s simply not possible to do so, install additional locks and a good quality tool safe to help keep them more secure.
- Consider fitting anti-tamper screws to prevent number plate thefts.
If you witness any suspicious activity around cars, vans or motorcycles, please contact police on 999 straight away. Officers would rather attend to discover that everything is in order, than miss an opportunity to catch a potential offender.
In a non-emergency, you can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101.
|
For further advice, visit the crime prevention pages of the Hertfordshire Constabulary website at www.herts.police.uk.
In August, Hertsmere Police, Community Enforcement Officers and volunteer Police Cadets joined forces to offer vehicle crime prevention advice, give out Faraday security bags and talk to residents.
|
|
 |
The Hertsmere CSP is organising an Older Person’s Activity Learning and Safety (OPALS) event for Thursday 7 November at the Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue, between 10am and 1pm.
The event is for those aged 60 plus and covers safety advice, as well as promoting local support that is available. There will be representatives from various organisations including Hertsmere Borough Council, Beacon, Age UK and Trading Standards.
Refreshments and a Kosher lunch will be available for attendees. Register your place by emailing partnership.support@hertsmere.gov.uk or calling 020 8207 2277.
Two prolific Hertsmere shoplifters have been jailed as part of an ongoing initiative to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour across the county.
Following a successful bid through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, the constabulary secured £1m worth of Government funding to launch ‘Operation Hotspot’ back in May.
The funding is providing extra foot patrols and increased visibility across all ten districts of the county.
These patrols are being carried out in addition to normal daily business patrols, targeting specific areas which have been identified as crime and anti-social behaviour hotspots.
In Hertsmere, the patrols are focussing on the Shenley Road area of Borehamwood.
Throughout July and August, local officers carried out 21 additional patrols, totalling 336 policing hours.
This resulted in nine people being arrested, 23 stop searches being carried out and ASB powers being utilised seven times.
Hertfordshire Constabulary launched the online service in the spring, to allow residents to keep up to date with what is happening in their local area, and thousands of households are already signed up.
It is part of the Neighbourhood Alerts platform and enables residents to receive free messages from the police, Neighbourhood Watch, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office and Action Fraud.
The messages contain information about crime and events in the area, local policing priorities and crime prevention advice.
You can register now by visiting www.hertsconnected.co.uk.
Once logged in, be sure to ‘edit your interests’ to ensure you receive the types of messages that are of interest to you.
|
Information about the projects available for young people can be found on the Services for Young People website. Please make a referral as soon as possible for any young person who would benefit from attending any of the provisions.
Details of projects for young people with special educational needs and disabilities can be found on the poster below.
Services for Young People current vacancies:
1 x FT Youth Worker (and/or Trainee) - Youth Workers (hertfordshire.gov.uk)
1 x 0.5 FTE YSWiC - Youth Support Workers in Charge (hertfordshire.gov.uk)
This project is a county-wide service, which provides support to young people at risk or involved in serious youth violence, associated drug dealing and exploitation.
Referrals for this service can be made by professionals, parents or young people can self-refer. More details and the referral form can be found on Stevenage Borough Council’s website.
Hertfordshire residents and businesses are being encouraged to share their views on future policing and crime prevention priorities by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Jonathan Ash-Edwards.
All residents and those who work in the county are invited to shape the PCC’s new Police and Crime Plan, which sets strategic priorities for Hertfordshire Constabulary on behalf of the public. PCCs are legally required to set a Police and Crime Plan in their first year in office.
Mr Ash-Edwards wants to hear from a wide-range of people on their thoughts and experiences on policing and crime in the county.
The online surveys have been launched to seek feedback on:
- How safe you feel in your local community.
- Your assessment of police performance.
- Priorities for police resource allocation.
Residents can have their say at https://bit.ly/HertsPCCPlan.
Businesses can take the survey at https://bit.ly/Herts/PCCBusiness.
The consultations will run for four weeks until 27 October and are open to anyone who lives, works or has a business in Hertfordshire.
|
