Topic ID 2807
quote:A very brief overview. The Hertford Town Centre Management Board was renamed as Hertford Town Partnership almost 3 years ago to reflect the way it was heading. David Yates was appointed Chairman 2 months ago. Since 2001 I have been working with both the Community Team at Hertfordshire Constabulary and various departments at East Herts. The result has been the Hertford Town Watch - now 50 members including pubs/retailers/venues - and is the envy of many other towns. This is backed up by CCTV which was funded by Hertford Town Council and East Herts. This scheme has led to so many arrests, a decrease in actual crime and huge increase in awareness of crime. I wanted to apply for a Safe Business Award from the Home Office but the funding had gone but we had already reached and surpassed the criteria. Some towns are still struggling with crime and the results of it and as a result found themselves in the top 100 targeted for this scheme by the Home Office. Not a top 100 to want to find yourself in. Hertford has a strong Pubwatch regularly attended by up to 30 licensees. We are part of BOBB - Behave or be banned. To put this in perspective since the introduction in April we have only had one banning order to discuss in relation to alcohol related offences both inside and outside licensed premises.Other towns also ask me how is it that Pubwatch works so well in Hertford. Out of this came the Taxi Marshalling scheme; now funded for another year. Since the introduction in November 2005 until March 2006 there was a 36% reduction in crime in Castle Ward. Driving this was the police, East Herts and the Hertford Town Partnership. (note: the HTP has members from businesses, political organisations and residents) There is a very strong partnership working between all the above groups. The Town Watch has regular breakfast meetings at which schemes are discussed, especially action on the purse dippers. I have a folder of press cuttings showing how members act and work together when a shop is targetted by thieves. One, two and on one occassion 5 retailers have actually come out of the shop and chased thieves and caught them. This is community spirit at its height. Last weeks Mercury had a piece about the licensee at the Duncombe alerting police to an assault over the radio. Many such similar incidents go unreported for fear of complacency but we have successes all the time. All of the habitual shoplifters who haunted Hertford in 2002; no longer come in. If they do, they are known, watched and soon leave. We are now successfully targetting similar 'shoppers' coming up on the Hertford East Line. The Town Watch radios were funded by East Herts, Police and Waitrose. Just because you don't read about it doesn't mean things aren't going on. Insp Wilson has good ideas on developing these partnerships as does David Yates. I posted on another board about an emerging town centre neigbourhood watch - but no one came back. I assume from this that everybody is basically very happy with things. If not its time to start lobbying; our Hertford Town and District Councillors are always happy to listen.
OK how's this for something constructive...? (a) There's been a couple of mentions of the Town management board and attempts to either revive it (b) David Yates has posted on here that he's the new chairman of the Hertford Town Partnership (c) We have had PCSO(s) posting on here from time to time (d) Others have commented on how helpful they've found their local councillors to be Why not lobby all of these individuals/groups and ask them to work with the local constabulary or indeed make direct contact yourselves. According to the Herts Constabulary website, Inspector Diane Wilson is the Neighbourhood inspector for all of the Hertford wards. Her contact details (available on the site are as follows): Neighbourhood Inspector: Diane Wilson Warrant No.: 1334 Tel: 01992 533062 If these groups explained all of the current problems that are occurring in Hertford (as outlined on these boards and beyond), surely a request could then be made to see if a higher profile policing presence can't take place within the town. This could be more officers on the beat or as a worst case scenario, a mobile police "station" in the evenings in the town centre. Thoughts anyone...?