COMMUNITY SAFETY CONSULTATION FORUM

Links to Key Information

The latest crime statistics for the Borough can be found at crime levels & statistics – CrimeMapper – www.police.uk

Local neighbourhood budgets – further information can be found at http://www.broxbourne.gov.uk/community_and_living/community_safety/local_neighbourhood_budgets.aspx

The latest anti-social behaviour statistics can be found in the Safer Community Monitor: http://www.broxbourne.gov.uk/community_and_living/community_safety/safer_community_monitor.aspx

Useful links/contacts about community safety matters

Police (non emergency) 101 or www.herts.police.uk Crime Stoppers 0800 555111 Broxbourne Council Community Safety Team 01992 785573 email – [email protected] Broxbourne Council Helpline 01992 785577 or www.broxbourne.gov.uk Fire Home Safety Checks 0800 5873347 HCC Defective Street Lights 01438 737320 01923 471320 or www.hertsdirect.org/highwayfaults

Meeting held 23rd May 2013 Present:

Hertfordshire Constabulary Herts Police and Crime Commissioner Chief Inspector G Camp Mr D. Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner Det. Inspector Carl Foster Mr. J. Bugg, Deputy Chief Executive, Police and Sgt. S. Gunstone Crime Commissioner’s Office

Broxbourne Borough Council - Councillors Keith Brown (Chairman), Mark Mills-Bishop, Yvonne Mobbs, Jeremy Pearce and Mr J Stack and Mr T Cox

Herts County Council - Cty. Cllrs Ms D Hart, D. Hewitt, T. Hutchings and P. Mason.

13 local residents including representatives of the following local organisations/forums:-

Frank Jones Hoddesdon Neighbourhood Forum and College Road Residents Assoc. Richard Casselle College Road Residents Association Colin Mackinnon Four Swannes Residents Association Jamie Monde Four Swannes Residents Association Brian Mollett Friends of Park Jim Nicolson Broxbourne Street Pastors Patsy Spears Cheshunt and Neighbourhood Forum Peter Worth Mill Lane Residents Association and Hoddesdon Society

Also present: Mrs. P. Ablett, Mr G Anderson, Mr. T. Carroll MBE, Mr. A. Farren and Mr. A. Kuypers

1. INTRODUCTIONS AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Sue Ball-Greenwood, Hazel Jackson, Martin Greensmyth and Paul Seeby and Mr. K. Cockman (Hoddesdon Neighbourhood Forum).

2. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN FOR 2013/14

Agreed that Councillor Keith Brown be appointed Chairman of the Forum for 2013/14.

3. MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 31st JANUARY 2013 - agreed.

4. UPDATE ON THE POLICE AND CRIME PLAN FOR HERTFORDSHIRE 2013-2018

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Mr. David Lloyd, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire.

Mr. Lloyd gave a brief outline on the new Police and Crime Plan for Hertfordshire ‘Everybody’s Business’. He indicated there would be an emphasis on the following:

o Public Focus - support for victims/witnesses and encouraging volunteering o Offender Pays - further development of rehabilitation and restorative justice schemes o Business sense - more business like deployment of resources and encouraging business support for community safety initiatives o Maintaining a level of funding support for CSPs to implement local community safety initiatives

The Forum noted the contents of the Police and Crime Plan.

5. LOCAL POLICING

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Chief Inspector Geoff Camp, the new Police lead for the Broxbourne area. He advised that all crime in the Borough in the year to date had reduced by 7% (down 52 offences) compared with the previous year. Burglary dwelling was down 38% (down 18 offences), vehicle crime fell by 6% (down 5 offences), but robbery increased by 40% (2 offences). DI Carl Foster added that 5 offenders were arrested for burglary offences in April and a further individual had been arrested for a number of catalytic convertor thefts from vehicles. He also emphasised the key role local neighbourhood watch schemes play in providing community intelligence.

With regards to anti-social behaviour this fell by 26%, whilst criminal damage fell by 24%. There had been a targeted operation recently in Rye Road, Hoddesdon to address persistent nuisance youth issues.

He then outlined the policing resources available to him to respond to crime/ASB in the Broxbourne area from the various teams, as follows:

o Safer Neighbourhoods Team (community policing) o Intervention Team (emergency response) o Special Constables (volunteers) o Tactical Team (countywide) o Case Investigation Team (investigations of crimes following arrest) o Others (countywide - roads policing, firearms, dogs)

Finally, he outlined the recent changes to the neighbourhood policing areas in the Borough from six down to three (Hoddesdon and Broxbourne, Cheshunt West and Cheshunt East) although the policing establishment would increase by a further 5 police constables, whilst the number of Police Community Support Officers would reduce by 1.5 posts. These posts would be filled by 31st March 2014, although he was lobbying for at least some of these posts to be filled from the initial recruitment phase. Whilst attendees welcomed the increased policing resources there were concern about the reduction in number/frequency of local neighbourhood meetings.

In response to questions he added that Hate Crime officers were now based at local CSP level to ensure improved responsiveness to local issues and emphasised that there was significant cross border working not only with other areas of the county but all both Essex and the Metropolitan Police.

The Forum (a) welcomed the positive reductions in crime/ASB levels and increased policing resources for the Borough; and (b) requested further consideration be given to (i) a fresh neighbourhood watch recruitment campaign and (ii) the number/frequency of local neighbourhood meetings.

6. LOCAL COMMUNITY SAFETY PLAN 2013/14

Jeff Stack of Broxbourne Council briefly outlined the key elements of the Community Safety Action Plan for 2013/14 in relation to:

o Strategic Issues/Challenges o Reducing Crime o Managing Offenders o Anti-social Behaviour/Envirocrime o Tackling Alcohol/Drug Misuse o Improving Perceptions of Crime/ASB and Feelings of Safety

A summary leaflet was tabled at the meeting which can be viewed at the related links at http://www.broxbourne.gov.uk/community_and_living/community_safety.aspx

The Forum noted the community safety plan for 2013/14.

7. UPDATE ON LOCAL COMMUNITY SAFETY INITIATIVES

Tony Cox of Broxbourne Council outlined a range of current initiatives including (i) extending the Waltham Cross alcohol control zone and address street drinking issues in the locality; (ii) a range of gating projects to improve the security of local residents; (iii) measures to address illegal/inconsiderate parking outside schools; (iv) increased targeting of envirocrime issues, such as flytipping and dog fouling; and (v) increasing engagement with local residents, particularly around volunteering initiatives. Other suggestions from attendees were:

o a campaign to make parents aware that young people often get alcohol from home o using the community engagement vehicle on market days in Waltham Cross o a range of measures to reduce ASB linked to the new skateboard park in Cheshunt Park o more detail about the respective roles of both Street Pastors and the Council’s Parks Patrol

The Forum noted the range of local initiatives and asked that both the Street Pastors and the Parks Patrol be invited to make a brief presentation to the next meeting.

8. QUESTION SESSION

Proposed Developments at High Leigh Garden Village - a local resident enquired whether the existing local police resource would be able to cope with this increase of population, dwellings, cars, additional traffic, etc this development would generate. CI Camp advised that with such a development the Police would be a statutory consultee at the planning application stage with regard to designing out crime and would also use the negotiations on any planning benefit agreement to secure any necessary additional policing resources. It was noted, however, that no planning application had been received and there was no certainty that this development would proceed.

9. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

th Thursday 26 September 2013 at 7.00pm at Bishops College, Churchgate, Cheshunt