Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan

I have published a a new Police and Crime Plan for Hertfordshire to respond to fresh opportunities and challenges.

My Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan: Everybody’s Business, is a key document in my role as PCC enabling greater oversight and accountability of other agencies and the police.

This plan sets out my ambition and vision for community safety and criminal justice across the county until 2027.

It looks to the future and sets out the challenges and opportunities ahead of us and speaks to everyone - the police, local authorities, the private sector and each one of us as citizens - to take action and play a part in preventing and reducing crime.

 

Plan on a Page 2022-27

This new Police and Crime Plan is more than just a legal requirement, it sets out my plan and vision for policing and crime across Hertfordshire to 2027. 

It is built on my manifesto and the priorities and commitments I made to the electorate. The plan also uses an ‘evidence-based policing’ approach developed by the Cambridge University Institute of Criminology to chart how crime and safety will be approached across the county.

It also embeds the principle of Prevention First which has been adopted by Hertfordshire Constabulary.

It sets out how the Constabulary will respond to their Strategic Policing Requirements and ensure we get the best from our collaborated units, with whom we share resources, to drive crime down and provide an efficient and effective service for the public.

This Plan also reflects on an area that has been important to me for some time - Violence Against Women and Girls, and indeed Children. Recent tragic incidents nationally have brought the issues to the fore in the public’s perception.

In policing and in wider society we have questioned how we should respond and the standards and culture against which policing is measured. Policing is built on a Code of Ethics which forms the foundation of Standards of Professional Behaviour and is a key determinant of public confidence in policing.

We must get these right if we are to have a police service that is fair, ethical, and representative; one that acts with integrity, honesty and compassion. And underpinning all of our work there are six key priorities:

• Keep Crime Low – Hertfordshire has been one of the safest places in the UK to live and work and I will ensure it stays that way.

• Focus on Victims – Beacon- the Hertfordshire Victim Care Centre has transformed the support available for victims and has been recognised nationally for its innovation. I will develop and expand the work of Beacon.

• Recruit More Officers – Hertfordshire has one of the best performing forces in the country and I have protected it from cuts. I will use the opportunity of new investment to recruit hundreds of new officers and deliver the largest force the county has ever had.

• Protect Local Policing – Every borough and district to continue to have its own strong local policing team and police station. I will continue to focus on protecting and investing in frontline policing.

• Increase Efficiency – I will continue to reduce costs while insisting on improvements in performance. Investments in new technology and collaboration with neighbouring forces can deliver a better service at lower cost.

• Keep Tax Low – Hertfordshire has one of the lowest police precepts in the county. I will never ask the taxpayers of Hertfordshire to pay a penny more than is required to deliver a quality service.

It is ‘Everybody’s Business’ to keep Hertfordshire safe. Over the coming years we will see further changes underway with new and expanded responsibilities which will continue to challenge us all to radically reform policing and criminal justice.

The Commissioner would like to thank all of those who expended the time and energy to read and respond to the consultation.

As per the title of the plan, Everybody’s Business, he sees the need for the whole county to engage with Police and Crime issues and collectively to take responsibility for the reduction of crime and the increased safety of our communities.

Therefore, please contact the Commissioner with any further ideas, suggestions or feedback on police and crime related matters in Hertfordshire.

The Annual Report mark progress and key achievements made over the last year against the Police and Crime Plan, ‘Everybody’s Business'.