The following is made up of the text and figures from the latest report from the Welwyn and Hatfield Division.

Crime – Main Points

An average of 216 crimes are recorded in the Hatfield area each month, only 33 of which are in the rural area (which includes Brookmans Park and Welham Green).

Crimes in the rural area account for around 15% of all crime in the whole of the Hatfield area. The detection rate for the rural area is 38% (a figure the police describe as ‘respectable’).

Violent crime remains low in the rural area and burglaries of homes are on the decrease throughout the Division.

Vehicle crime has also fallen throughout the Division. In rural areas vehicle crime accounts for more than 20% of Hatfield’s total, but detections are high. The division has seen an 18% drop in crime when compared to this time last year and detections have more than doubled.

Car Crime

According to the latest figures from the Welwyn Hatfield Division thefts from cars are the biggest area of concern. In both Brookmans Park and Welham Green, theft from motor vehicles generally occurs at car parks overnight and during the weekend. Items such as stereos, handbags, wallets and tools are stolen. Theft from motor vehicles in Essendon tends to occur throughout the weekend. Theft of motor vehicles in Brookmans Park is low.

Theft of motor vehicles in Welham Green involves Vauxhalls mostly, taken during the weekend overnight from roads and car parks. They are being dumped in areas such as, Hoddesdon, Harlow and Enfield. Theft of motor vehicles in Essendon occurs overnight during the weekend, cars are being dumped in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield only. Police advise not to leave cars with valuable visible, unattended for long period, in vulnerable places and without security measures having been taken.

Burglary

Essendon and Brookmans Park are suffering from similar types of burglary, houses where windows are used to enter the premises and sheds where the doors are not locked properly.

Welham Green has had a number of incidents where elderly people are targeted. Commercial premises have also been hit overnight with tools and other equipment taken.

Local Factors

Figures in the latest report from the Welwyn Hatfield Division show that the area has a population of 93 thousand, which is 10% of the country.

The district has a relatively stable population, characterised by a strong attachment to the area and with positive attitudes to the police.

Despite it being the safest division in the safest county, people still feel unsafe walking alone in their areas after dark with many concerned about becoming a victim of crime. However the police point out that the fear of crime doesn’t bear any relation to the actual risk – which they say is extremely low.

Uniform Officers

Approximately 70 officers are available daily for patrol work. 55 of these are engaged in 24-hour response policing, divided into 5 shifts. Typically, 8 officers are split between the two towns. In Hatfield, this equals one double-crewed car and two single crewed cars.

These officers respond to Police 999 calls, received into the Force Operations Room at Headquarters or the Divisional Operations Room at Hatfield, which average 80 per day.

Traffic Unit

In general, traffic flows in Hertfordshire are much higher than in many parts of the country, with Welwyn Hatfield being above average for the county. Speed accounts for more than 30% of all injury accidents. Drink-drive is an ongoing initiative

Divisional Policing Plan

A policing plan for the division is produced each year based on extensive community consultations. This takes into account the county policing plan (agreed between the Police Authority and the Chief Constable), local community concerns and the police force’s own understanding of the situation.

The proorities for Hertfordshire Police for the year include:

• To reduce home burglary
• To reduce car crime
• To focus on violent crime
• To tackle drugs together
• To reduce incidents of public disorder
• To reduce the number of serious traffic accidents
• To improve the effectiveness of visible police patrols
• To respond promptly to emergency calls

Contacts

Welwyn Hatfield Police Division
Hatfield Police Station,
St Albans Road East,
Hatfield,
Herts. AL10 0EN
Tel: 01707-638000

Community Officer
PC Vojislav Mihailovic
Tel: 01707-638112 or 638812

Crime Prevention Office
PC Linda Stevens
Tel: 01707-638114