Hertsmere Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is made up of local organisations, known as statutory responsible authorities who work together to make Hertsmere an even safer place to live, work and visit. 

CSPs were set up under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 giving the responsible authorities a statutory duty to work together to implement strategies to reduce crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour, offending and drug and alcohol misuse.

Hertsmere CSP statutory responsible authorities are:

 

We also work closely with a number of non-statutory organisations including: 

 

The Partnership aims 2023-2027 are:

  • To create safer environments by tackling crime and anti-social behaviour;
  • To protect and safeguard vulnerable people;
  • To build community confidence and wellbeing to increase feelings of safety

 

The Partnership priorities 2023-2024 are:

Priority 1 – Support and protect vulnerable victims of exploitation*

What we will do:

  • Proactively identify victims of exploitation, offer support and regularly review their risk.
  • Work with schools to deliver educational events to students, professionals and the wider community to help spot the signs of exploitation.
  • Work with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Hertfordshire County Council’s Community Safety Unit (HCC CSU) to develop a standardised approach to dealing with cuckooing** and to provide training for professionals.
  • Provide a police presence to engage with communities to help understand the local concerns and share intelligence to protect vulnerable victims of exploitation.

 

*Exploitation is the act of selfishly taking advantage of someone or a group of people in order to profit from them or otherwise benefit oneself. Examples of this include child criminal / sexual exploitation, modern slavery and cuckooing**

**Cuckooing is when criminals target the home of a vulnerable person, often so they can use the property for criminal purposes, such as drug dealing and hiding weapons.

 

Priority 2 – Identify and prevent serious violence, with a specific focus on knife crime and young people

What we will do:

  • Proactively identify those involved in serious violence and provide alternative diversions to prevent further incidents from occurring.
  • Provide opportunities for people to surrender illegal knives and regularly look for knives that may have been left in hedges and bushes in hotspot areas.
  • Work with the OPCC and HCC CSU to look at local data and understand how Hertsmere is affected by serious violence.
  • Provide a police presence in hotspot areas and effectively use powers, such as Stop & Search, to prevent incidents of serious violence and reassure communities.
  • Deliver educational workshops in schools to raise awareness of knife crime and the devastating impact it can have on communities.

 

Priority 3 – Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG**)

What we will do:

  • Provide information, advice and awareness of VAWG, along with details of how to report incidents.
  • Provide reassurance messages.
  • Deliver educational sessions in primary and secondary schools.
  • Deliver awareness and safety workshops in communities to help people stay safe.
  • Liaise with Hertfordshire County Council, who has responsibility for street lighting, on areas identified within the borough that may benefit from increased lighting.

 

***VAWG is any form of violence disproportionably perpetrated by men against women and girls

 

Priority 4 – Work in partnership to support and promote local services that provide a holistic approach to community wellbeing

What we will do:

  • Encourage increased reporting of domestic abuse.
  • Raise awareness of the support services available for those affected by domestic abuse, mental ill-health, drugs and alcohol misuse, and the cost of living crisis.
  • Build the partnerships directory of local services and promote these in the community

 

Priority 5 – To reduce the harm caused by drugs within communities

What we will do:

  • Run operations to proactively pursue individuals who are involved in exploitation and drug dealing.
  • Work in partnership to address cannabis use in residential properties.
  • Actively patrol hotspot areas, effectively use powers, such as Stop & Search, and robustly deal with those who use and supply drugs.
  • Deliver educational workshops in schools to raise awareness of drugs and the impact they can have in communities.

 

Priority 6 – Increase feelings of safety and public confidence by reducing anti-social behaviour, robustly tackling crime and providing early interventions and reassurance messages

What we will do:

  • Engagement events to provide crime prevention advice, information on wellbeing and an opportunity for the community to discuss their concerns.
  • Proactively patrol hotspot areas, engage with young people involved in anti-social behaviour and provide positive alternatives to prevent further incidents.
  • Publicise good news stories and provide reassurance messages.
  • Continually review locations for CCTV and deploy mobile CCTV cameras in crime and anti-social behaviour hotspots to identify offenders and take appropriate action.
  • Liaise with Hertfordshire County Council, who has responsibility for street lighting, on areas identified within the borough that may benefit from increased lighting
  • Communicate crime prevention advice on home protection, personal safety and vehicle safety.
  • Encourage residents and businesses to join Neighbourhood Watches.
  • Proactively patrol anti-social behaviour and burglary hotspots and provide timely crime prevention advice.

 

If you would like to learn more you can request a copy of the Partnerships Plan by emailing community.safety@hertsmere.gov.uk. 

Read our useful contacts leaflet (PDF 419kb) for the correct number to ring if you have an issue.

View our latest Hertsmere Community Safety Partnership Newsletter.

Feelings of Safety Survey 

The Hertsmere Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is asking residents and visitors to engage in the 'Feelings of Safety', which will be used by the CSP to identify areas of concern and help shape local safety improvements. 

You can give feedback about your local area via the following links: