Feeling safe in our borough

A campaign to spread the word that Hertfordshire really is a safe place to live, was launched today, Monday. Safer Herts is a multi-agency campaign aimed at providing reassurance to people who live, work or visit the county.

Local dignitaries - including Hertsmere’s deputy mayor Cllr Peter Knell - and chief officers from a number of partner agencies were there to launch the campaign, which includes advertisements at train stations and on the backs of over 100 buses travelling across the county.  The message will also be used on posters, leaflets and on a mobile advertising hoarding at events.

Crime went down in the county again last year, giving a total reduction of over 25% in the last five years - that’s the equivalent of 26,000 fewer victims than in 2005.  However, despite these low and falling crime rates, some people still think the risk of crime is much higher than the reality. 

Chief Constable Frank Whiteley said: "It’s all about making sure people know the facts and not the fiction.  All too often people’s perception of local crime and disorder is influenced by local and national media and even storylines in TV soaps.  We want to work with local communities and the media to make sure people get the right advice and information to make them feel and be safer."

The campaign also aims to discourage the myth that young people ‘hanging around’ are always ‘up to something’.

“Young people are often unfairly branded as trouble and blamed for crime and disorder when the vast majority of young people are well-behaved citizens who never get into, or cause, any trouble," said Councillor John Donne, portfolio holder for community safety.

“Hertsmere Borough Council works with other local authorities, health, fire and rescue, police and HertsWatch and other voluntary organisations, to cut crime and reduce anti-social behaviour and we hope people will feel reassured by our campaign and the work that we do," added Cllr Donne.