Latest news from PFCC Roger Hirst - 1st March 2024
Community Safety Expo 24 hears partnership work key to getting crime down
Partnership work leads to success in getting crime down – the key message from the PFCC Essex’s Community Safety Expo 24 held today.
The Expo, at Boreham House, near Chelmsford, was attended by more than 250 representatives of community safety partners, including Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, the Violence and Vulnerability Unit (VVU), charities, community groups and council partners.
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, told the Expo: “Partnership working is key to our approach – our approach has always been to achieve results with organisations and agencies working with each other.
“We are going to do more of what works. Our success shows we know the things that work and we are going to more of them.”
Among the guests and speakers alongside the PFCC were Anna Firth, MP for Southend West, Chief Constable BJ Harrington of Essex Police, Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Jane Gardner, Deputy PFCC.
Also speaking were knife crime campaigners Quinton Green and Julie Taylor, who spoke of the ongoing need to halt knife crime in our communities.
Community safety issues raised at PFCC Essex Chelmsford public meeting
Vehicle theft, CCTV and Police visibility were subjects raised by the audience when Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, continued a busy schedule of public meetings in Chelmsford this week.
Roger was joined at the public meeting on Tuesday 27th February in the Civic Centre, Duke Street, Chelmsford, by Jane Gardner, Deputy PFCC, Ch Insp Paul Ballard, Essex Police Chelmsford District Commander, Group Manager Justin Benson Ryal of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Spencer Clarke, Chelmsford Community Safety Partnership Manager.
At the meeting audience members put questions to the panel on a range of issues including questions on Claire’s Law, CCTV in Great Baddow, Police visibility, engagement and follow up and response. There were also questions on vehicle theft.
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said: “It was a good meeting and useful issues were raised.
“Our public meetings are a great way to hear directly from local communities about any concerns they might have or issues they are experiencing and we heard plenty to inform future plans.”
Dedicated patrols by police and council partners on Debden Broadway have contributed to a substantial drop in anti-social behaviour across Epping Forest district.
The Broadway is one of 13 hotspot areas across the county that received a share of a £1.1m investment by Essex’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to combat ASB under Operation Dial.
Anti-social behaviour in Epping Forest district has reduced by 30.1% in the year to the end of January 2024. Across Essex, there has been a 38.5% drop in ASB with 9,416 fewer offences committed.
In Debden Broadway, police officers and community safety colleagues from Epping Forest District Council are on target to complete 2,000 hours of patrols over the course of nine months to the end of March.
