Crime
The policing year in summary
The total crime figure fell again in Hertfordshire during 2006-7 with the Constabulary continuing to raise detection rates and proactively target prolific offenders. Staff numbers rose, along with the investment into new police stations.
Overall, crime fell for the third year running with 26,554 offenders being brought to justice and made to account for their crimes. The Constabulary is not complacent and is taking steps to achieve further reductions next year with greater numbers of crimes detected and more criminals being brought to justice. One way it aims to reach these objectives is through working with partners and the community; in schools and staff recruitment to develop closer relationships within the community.
Indicator CR1 - Recorded Crime
| Crime | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | 97,065 | 95,273 | 91,408 |
| - Offences resulting in the offender receiving a caution, conviction, or taken into consideration by a court | 16,350 | 20,370 | 26,554 |
| - Home burglaries | 5,385 | 4,733 | 4,298 |
| - Serious violent crimes | 8,494 | 7,706 | 7,064 |
| - Robberies | 875 | 933 | 985 |
| - Vehicle crimes | 13,109 | 12,506 | 11,197 |
| - Offences leading to a charge, caution or summons for the trafficking and supply of Class A drugs1 | 322 | 362 | 274 |
Satisfaction
In 2006/7 user satisfaction in service delivery for racist incidents rose by 2.1%, along with road traffic collision by +1% and violent crime by 0.2%. Domestic burglary, however, fell by -1.5%, as did vehicle crime by -4.5%.
Despite already having some of the highest satisfaction rates in the country, it remains a key goal of the Constabulary to improve the quality of the service it provides to the public. Towards this goal, the Constabulary published a "Service Commitment" document from all its staff and is introducing new initiatives to further enhance public satisfaction. Some of these are easy to carry out; for example, officers can report details at the scene of the crime via radio, instantly providing information and crime numbers to the public. Others, such as using the internet to deliver services, are more complex and require long term development.
Indicator CR1 - Recorded Crime
2007 User satisfaction with service delivery against crimes
Source: Hertfordshire Constabulary 2007
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| Public Safety and Confidence | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of people killed or seriously injured road traffic collisions2 | 668 | 556 | 567 |
| Immediate response incidents attended within 15 minutes | 92.1% | 90.7% | 90.6% |
| 999 calls answered within 10 seconds | 81.9% | 91.7% | 93.0% |
| Non-emergency calls answered within 30 seconds | N/A | 74.2% | 84.2% |
| % of police officer recruits from ethnic minority groups | 3.2% | 4.0% | 3.2% |
Police numbers
By September 2007 Hertfordshire Constabulary had over 4,000 police staff with 2,176 full time equivalent officers, 1,568 staff, 259 Specials and 235 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). Of these, over 400 police officers and PCSOs worked on the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, supported by around 250 Special Constables.
Special Constables voluntarily put in over 85,000 hours during the 12 months to September 2007, which is 11,000 hours more than 2006. An intensive recruitment campaign raised the number of Specials to 268 during the period, 19 of whom were in training at the time of writing. This figure is significant as many leave each year to become regular officers.
Hertfordshire Constabulary staffing October 2005 - 2007
Source: Hertfordshire Constabulary 2007
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The Constabulary again used targeted recruitment campaigns in 2006-7 to help ensure the force comprised of staff to reflect the county's diversity of communities. Initiatives successfully introduced in 2006, like involving communities in the training of recruits, continues to help increase representation and understanding of minority ethnic groups. Staff remain well-supported by local authorities and partners such as Crimestoppers. In addition, many members of the public now help directly by joining Neighbourhood Watch or volunteering to help in police stations.
This keeps neighbourhoods safer and means the county has more resources than ever before to help find long term solutions to local problems.
New Police Stations & Enhanced Facilities
Artists impression of Hatfield's new Police Station at Comet Way
Under the Public Access and Visibility Strategy new police stations are being built or developed across the county; in Stevenage, Hertford and Hatfield. These, together with new community police stations being created in Ware and Abbotts Langley and new mobile police stations, are designed to improve access to police services. Enhanced custody facilities are also being built to enable police officers get back quickly to the streets after bringing in a prisoner.
Hertfordshire Gains More Youth & Schools Police Community Support Officers
Hertfordshire now has 38 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) specifically trained to deal with and support young people in the safe and non-threatening environment of a school. Found to be the best way of providing this service, numbers were increased after the success of 10 dedicated PCSOs. There is now 1 for each of the county's "Extended School Groups".
Funded jointly by Hertfordshire's Police Constabulary and the County Council, the Youth & Schools Police Community Support Officers are trained in specialist youth subjects by the County Council's Children Schools and Families department. As part of a "team around the child" concept, they target their efforts to support and guide those most at risk. They divert young people into more positive activities and/or refer them to appropriate agencies. This is a cultural change in addressing young people's issues and assists the county council's partners in meeting their aim of delivering better outcomes for young people.
The increased number of Youth and Schools PCSOs are an addition to over 400 PCSOs and Neighbourhood constables they work alongside in tackling low-level local issues. The new PCSOs will make a real impact; by working as part of a multi-agency team, identifying those already involved in crime or anti-social behaviour, or those at risk of becoming involved in it.
1 "Offences: leading to a charge, caution or summons for trafficking
and supply of Crack Cocaine" are no longer shown separately and
are now only shown within the total Class A drugs figure. This is
because Crack Cocaine is a Class A drug and was previously
shown twice, both within the total figure and separately below.
2 Revised figures.