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The Hertsmere Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is a strategic body made up of local organisations that work together to make the borough a safer place to live, work and visit. The organisations making up the CSP include Hertsmere Borough Council, Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, National Probation Service and the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board.
This newsletter provides an overview of the partnership activity between October and December 2025 and details of local services available to Hertsmere residents.
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Throughout October, we hosted a number of events to mark Black History Month including arts and crafts workshops, an African drumming event and exhibitions. More information can be found on our website.
Hertsmere staff also attended Hertsmere’s Diversity Festival which is a two-day celebration with a range of performers, stalls and an international food buffet community lunch. The festival celebrates our diverse community and aims to create a more inclusive and understanding society.
National Hate Crime Awareness Week also falls in October. There are many organisations that can offer support. Hertsmere Borough Council and the Healthy Hub on Leeming Road are registered as third-party reporting centres for hate crime. For more information about reporting hate crime and support services available, please visit our website.
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In October, we successfully secured our first closure order against a shop in Borehamwood selling illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes. In a joint effort, officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary, Trading Standards and the council executed a search warrant at the shop and two men were arrested on suspicion of unauthorised use of a trademark.
A large quantity of illegal products, including cigarettes, tobacco and vapes, had been seized from the shop. The closure order was granted on 21 October, preventing the shop from opening for three months. Read the full story here.
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The Hertsmere CSP hold community engagements in hotspot areas that have been affected by issues such as crime, anti-social behaviour, rogue trading and scams. A community engagement took place in Borehamwood Shopping Park in December. A variety of agencies attend these events including Hertsmere Borough Council’s Community Safety Team, Hertfordshire Police and Clarion. Residents are given free crime prevention advice and equipment and can talk to partners about any concerns they have.
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The Hertsmere CSP hosted a number of ‘Walk and Talk’ events across the borough. Women and girls are encouraged to join the walks to discuss concerns and ask questions. Organisations can offer residents free crime prevention advice and equipment such as Personal Attack Alarms. To stay up to date with future events and what is going on in the local area sign up to Hertfordshire Constabulary’s free interactive messaging service Herts Connected.
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The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence was held from 25 November to 10 December. The 16 Days encourages us all to take a stand against gender-based violence and this year’s campaign was also a reminder that digital safety is central to gender equality. The 16 Days of Activism is kicked off by White Ribbon Day which encourages us all to speak up and create a world where women and girls are safe, equal, and respected. The White Ribbon Flag flew outside the Hertsmere Civic Offices throughout the 16 Days. We have been encouraging our staff, elected members and residents to become White Ribbon Champions and Ambassadors who can be advocates in workplaces and communities. More information can be found on the White Ribbon website.
We showed our support for these campaigns with a series of social media posts signposting to support services and further information about Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Our councillors also participated in videos highlighting the importance of speaking up so that we can all be advocates for women and girls, so they may live their lives free from the fear of men’s violence and unwanted attention. The videos can be viewed on our YouTube page.
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Council staff and elected members also showed their support by wearing orange, contributing to our collection for SAHWR Specialist Domestic Abuse Services’ safe accommodation and participating in our planting of orange flower bulbs in memory of the women who lost their lives to domestic abuse last year. As these flowers grow and bloom each year, they will be a visible reminder of lives lost and of our pledge and shared responsibility to keep speaking up and keep working for change.
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Throughout the 16 Days we supported and hosted a number of training sessions. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, The Traveller Movement, the Centre for Domestic Abuse and SAHWR Specialist Domestic Abuse Services delivered training sessions to our staff, elected members and partners. The topics covered in these sessions included domestic abuse awareness and the impact on adults and children, the different barriers and challenges faced by our communities, the financial and legal support available to victims/survivors of domestic abuse and how to intervene safely when witnessing street harassment. For more information about the organisations above visit.
For more information about domestic abuse and support services available, please visit www.hertsmere.gov.uk/domesticabuse.
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Contact information:
www.hertsmere.gov.uk/csp
020 8207 2277
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