Dear Colleagues,

 

Most of those reading this newsletter will also be receiving messages via the ringmaster system about crimes occurring in your areas. Sometimes these messages are sent to us all in the North Herts area, if these are similar crimes occurring across the area. In the early part of April the messages have concerned the theft of purses from shoppers.

 

We need to be careful about the interpretation of the messages. The towns in North Herts are safe places to shop but if you are one of the victims of purse theft you will not necessarily share this view.

 

There are more members of Neighbourhood Watch than police officers in North Herts. Perhaps we should offer our services as “minglers” on the days and locations of the purse thefts.

 

Don’t forget about the purse alarms. They can at least alert you and the people around you that someone is attempting to steal your property.

 

Regards,

Michael Holden

 

North Herts NHW Diary:

 

Wednesday 12th April 06 – Barkway NHW meeting, Barkway Village Hall – 7.30pm

April 13 – May 16 Watch Liaison Officer is Annual Leave. For urgent queries and NHW issues please contact Michael Holden (01438) 833198, Dennis Wall Crime Prevention Panel (01462) 677249 or (01462) 425126 or the Community Teams on 0845 33 00 222 for assistance.

Text Box:
 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you seen missing Richard?

POLICE are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a Hitchin man who has been missing since Sunday March 12, 2006. 62-year-old Richard Duckett was last seen at his home in Redhill Road at 9.30pm by his wife. Richard has a heart condition and doesn’t have his car or mobile phone with him. He has not been in touch with relatives or friends since his disappearance.

He is described as white, approx. 5' 9" tall, with short brown hair and brown eyes and wears glasses. He is of stocky build, and at the time he went missing, was wearing blue jeans, a checked shirt, a blue and navy anorak and black shoes.

PC Andy Gorrell from the Eastern Area’s Missing Person’s Unit said: “Richard has a heart condition so we are becoming increasingly concerned for his wellbeing as time goes on. He had taken a couple of weeks off work but didn’t arrive when he was due back. If anyone knows where he is then please contact us.”

Anyone who has seen Richard or knows where he may be is asked to contact police on 0845 33 0 222.
Source: By Corporate Communication - LJB April 6, 2006
 

Cannabis Factory in Hemel uncovered by Police

 

Police in Hemel Hempstead raided a RESIDENTIAL house converted into a cannabis factory just before 6am this morning. Officers carried out a warrant under section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and discovered hundreds of cannabis plants at various stages of growth in each room of the three-bedroom terraced house in Dunlin Road on the Grovehill Estate with an estimated value of about £1/4m.

“These cannabis factories are making money out of our communities by dealing in organised crime including people trafficking,” explained Inspector Robin Winder from the Western Area Tactical Team. “And heat generated from the factory poses a fire hazard to residents who live close by. Whilst carrying out an unrelated search a couple of months ago, the police helicopter captured a large heat source coming from the property and we suspected it was a cannabis factory. We gathered intelligence about the property and worked closely with the fire brigade to minimise potential fire or electrocution risks before officers rammed the front door and arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of producing cannabis.”

He said: “The upper floor was being used for drying the cannabis and the main floors for growing the drug at various stages of development. The electricity supply was taken directly from the mains to avoid detection from excess consumption. “Make no mistake these are a very serious offences and we are firmly committed to reducing the supply of drugs in our communities and as a result of today’s operation, we also hope to see a significant reduction in volume ‘acquisitive’ crime such as shoplifting, burglary, vehicle crime and robbery.”

He added: “We need your help in keeping drugs out of the Western Area and out of Hertfordshire. If anyone has any information about where drug dealing is taking place or who is involved in supply or use, they are urged to call police on 0845 3300 222 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Source: By Corporate Communication Dept April 6, 2006

 

FEATURE: North Herts Crime Prevention Panel

 

Tuesday 7th March saw a presentation by North Herts Crime Prevention Panel (CPP) at NHDC chambers, Gernon Rd, Letchworth.  This was the first CPP recruitment / presentation of its kind and will hopefully be followed by more of the same across North Herts soon.

 

Well over sixty people attended including:

North Herts District Council community safety team & district councillors.

Parish councillors.

Herts Watch.  Neighbourhood Watch coordinators.

South Beds crime prevention panel.

Hertfordshire Constabulary, police community support officers (PCSO), Police Staff (HQ), Watch Liaison Officers (both North Herts & Stevenage), Community Inspector, Chief Inspector and Divisional Commander.

 

The evening presentation was an informal event with light refreshments provided and the opportunity for people to talk to each other.  On display were some of the items available through the CPP which included door bars / chains, door viewers, letterbox guards and some personal / purse alarms to try out, which was very noisy but quite popular!! 

 

Police Crime Prevention Officer Mark Montgomery delivered a slide show which outlined the make-up and role of the CPP and the number of items supplied, which amounted to over 10,000 not including 1,400 partnership property marking packs.  Mark also spoke of the need for more volunteers. During the slide show we saw pictures of events and operations the CPP have been involved in. 

 

At the end of the presentation Chief Inspector David Partridge told the audience of the success of operation Saturnalia (home security surveys) which the CPP has played a part in.  To end the presentation Divisional Commander Gary Kitching spoke about the CPP in North Herts.

 

Inspector Geoff Camp, Community Inspector for Letchworth, Baldock and Royston said, “The Crime Prevention Panel is an integral part of the extended police family.  I value greatly the work and additional crime prevention capability that the Panel provides, whether this be in the form of hosting dedicated crime road shows, assisting in police operations or simply delivering leaflets.  Indeed, the assistance is held in such high regard that Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Kitching presented Panel Chairman Dennis Wall with a Certificate of Good Work in recognition of his work and that of the Panel under his leadership.  It was very encouraging to see so many potential volunteers come to the presentation.  There is always room for more help and anyone can apply for more information by contacting Crime Prevention Officer Mark Montgomery.”

 

When & Where You Can Find The Crime Prevention Panel.

 

12/04/06, Letchworth, Morrison’s supermarket (inside) 10.00am-3.00pm approx

22/04/06, Letchworth, Morrison’s supermarket (outside) 10.00am-3.00pm approx

29/04/06, Weston, Crime aware day 10.00am-3.00pm approx

01/05/06, Royston, May Fair 10.00am-3.00pm approx

05/05/06, Baldock, Tescos supermarket (outside) 11.00am-3.00pm approx

22/05/06, Baldock, Police / Panel operation Saturnalia. Location & times to be confirmed        

23/05/06, Baldock, Police / Panel operation Saturnalia. Location & times to be confirmed        

24/05/06, Baldock, Police / Panel operation Saturnalia. Location & times to be confirmed        

25/05/06, Baldock, Police / Panel operation Saturnalia. Location & times to be confirmed        

17/06/06, Baldock, School fete, St Mary’s Way 12.30pm-3.30pm

08/07/06, Baldock, School fete, Providence Way 1.00pm-4.00pm

30/07/06, Kimpton, Horse Show 10.00am-3.00pm approx

28/08/06, Ashwell, Village Show 10.00am-3.00pm approx

02/09/06, Weston, Village fete 10.00am-3.00pm approx

 

Over 340 personal alarms delivered in North Herts by panel since Nov 2005.

Over 800 Purse alarms alone supplied since July 2005.

 

Youth Panel

 

What will the Youth Crime Prevention Panel be?

The panel will be made up of groups of local young people and occasionally representatives from local authorities / agencies etc.  They will work in partnership with the community, police and other agencies to prevent crime and lower the fear of crime.  The youth panel will operate as a division of North Herts Crime Prevention Panel (CPP) and will have a permanent member of the CPP attached to it. All youth panel (& CPP) members will be unpaid volunteers.

 

What can they do?

They can participate in existing projects / operations that the police, CPP and other partners already carry out.  They can propose and carry out their own projects subject to agreement from the CPP (this will ensure legitimacy & safety of the project). There is no set requirement on the amount of time put in to the panel

 

What will the community gain from a youth panel?

Effective youth panels can help cut the crime rate.  Young people know what is going on and what the facts are.  They are in a better position to influence their peers than adults.  They can tackle problems which matter to the whole community such as vandalism, graffiti, shoplifting and drug abuse.  They can use their own experience and knowledge of young people to act against these offences. They can help lower the Fear of Crime.

 

What will the Youth Panel gain?

Members of the youth panel will have the satisfaction of knowing they have made a difference.  The youth panel will work most closely with police / PCSO’s and the CPP but also with other agencies making contacts and friends along the way.  There will be opportunities for visits to places like police stations, control rooms, custody suits firearms units etc.  The experience gained and the new skills learnt will go down nicely on a “CV”.

 

PC Jeff Mason                                                                                PCSOs Suzanne Vernon

01462 425066                                                                                            01462 425089

 

Source: Dennis Wall/ Crime Prevention Panel (North Herts)

 

               Would you prefer to receive the newsletter by e-mail? Please e-mail Vee your details and she will add you to the e-mail list. Thank you.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Do you have any articles or good news stories you would like us to publish? Do you run a play group or youth club that you would like us to know about? Send your articles in for inclusion to Vee Halimana, at Hitchin Police Station.

 

 

Are you moving home, changing your e-mail address or phone number? Please let Vee know your new details so we can continue to send you Neighbourhood Watch updates.

 

 

THE NEXT PUBLICATION OF THIS NEWSLETTER WILL BE IN JUNE 2006.

 

 

CRIMESTOPPERS 0800 555 111

HERTS NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER 0845 33 00 222

IN AN EMERGENCY ALWAYS CALL 999

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leahoe House, Pegs Lane, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 8DE

Telephone: 01992 556 600, Fax: 01992 555 625

E-mail: enquiries.hpa@herts.pnn.police.uk

 

3 April 2006

 

Dear Colleague

 

I am writing to inform you of the Police Authority’s decision regarding the Home Secretary’s proposal to merge Hertfordshire Constabulary with the Forces of Bedfordshire and Essex.

 

At its meeting on Friday (31st), the Authority rejected any voluntary merger at this time and set out a list of concerns that it would want addressed.  The full Authority resolution is attached for your information. 

 

Our decision was not an easy one to make and it followed a morning of detailed discussions between members, the Chief Constable and representatives of the Home Office and Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC).  There were many strong arguments put forward for a voluntary merger between Hertfordshire, Essex and Bedfordshire, including those put forward by the Chief Constable.  His view is that the merger is inevitable and in the best interests of policing in Hertfordshire.  However, members were concerned about a number of outstanding issues and voted 10:5 against a voluntary merger. 

 

In particular, they were concerned about the ability to fund such a merger without the cost falling on the Council Tax payer, and about the level of local representation that a larger Strategic Police Authority would provide for the people of Hertfordshire.  We also felt the process had been too rushed and that there had been too little public debate on these critical issues. 

 

A letter from the Director General of Crime, Policing and Counter Terrorism, Moira Wallace, received the evening before our meeting, proposed 100% Government funding to cover the costs of restructure, but the figures being quoted by the Home Office fall far short of what we believe to be the true costs.  These concerns were supported by our Treasurer and by the Constabulary’s Director of Resources.

 

In making our decision, we recognise that the Home Secretary is now likely to proceed with an order for a compulsory merger.  However, we would still have the option to request a voluntary merger at any time before a Compulsory Order went through Parliament, and we are actively seeking to hold further discussions with the Home Office and HMIC in an attempt to resolve our concerns.

 

We also hope to meet with colleagues in Bedfordshire and Essex Police Authorities to discuss a way forward.  They meet early this week to decide their course of action and we will let you know the outcome as soon as it is available.  To enable a voluntary merger of the three forces, all three Authorities would need to agree to submit a request to the Home Secretary. 

 

In the meantime we aim to ensure that in any discussions with the Home Office we address all the concerns that you, our other stakeholders and the public may have.

 

Our intention, as always, is to protect the interests of the people of Hertfordshire and ensure that they continue to have the most effective and efficient police service to meet their needs.

 

Thank you for your continued support.


Yours sincerely

 

 

Ian Laidlaw-Dickson
Chairman

 

 

HERTFORDSHIRE POLICE AUTHORITY

RESOLUTION – 31 MARCH 2006
 
 

 


That Hertfordshire Police Authority rejects any form of voluntary merger at this time.

In making this decision, the Police Authority recognises that the Home Secretary has the powers to force such a merger.  Assuming that the Home Secretary will now proceed and use those powers, the Authority records below the concerns which remain to be addressed.

If the Home Secretary exercises his powers, the Authority would expect:

a) Governance

That the resulting Strategic Police Authority (SPA) would consist of as many members as necessary to ensure that all higher level local authorities have one Councillor representative, that the larger local authorities would be reasonably fairly represented based on population or voters and that the Authority would have political proportionality with the whole area it represents. This would result in at least 25 members.

b) Start Up funding

That 100% of the net costs of restructuring (including redundancy and early retirement and any preparatory costs incurred prior to start up) would be met by Central Government and that the calculation of detailed costings making up the net cost be resolved to the satisfaction of the Authority.

c) Protective Services

That further work be undertaken to clarify what an appropriate level of protective services would be and that sufficient resources would be available to the SPA to meet this requirement without reducing the existing planned commitment to neighbourhood policing (in Herts).
d) Funding formula

Timely removal of the funding formula ceiling which would restrict funding to the SPA (In 2006/7 funding is restricted by £8.8m). Also general removal of ring fencing in formula grant. 

e) Yarlswood

That any liability for damages claimed by a third party as a result of a fire at Yarlswood Detention Centre in 2002 would not transfer to the SPA.

f) Luton Airport

That the financial burden of policing at Luton Airport would not fall unreasonably (compared with arrangements for other major airports) on the SPA and the communities it would serve and that arrangements for a passenger levy to cover policing at both Luton and Stansted airports be given serious consideration.

g) Local Partnership Working

That external funding by local partners will be ring fenced to enable local agreements to be honoured.

h) Precept

That any additional council tax to achieve the equalisation of precept would be excluded from the calculation of council tax increases for the purposes of the Capping regime.

i)          Human Resources

That these issues are resolved in a manner which assures fair treatment for police officers, police staff and police authority staff and allows for efficient and effective policing in Hertfordshire to be maintained and improved.

j) Timing

That a timely process be agreed.

k) Communication

That as a result of a communication exercise with Hertfordshire stakeholders and public to be conducted by June 2006, no new irreconcilable issues are raised.

l) Police Authority Budgets

That the domestic budgets for both the SPA and the precursor authorities be sufficient to allow those authorities to carry out their statutory functions effectively.