Hitchin Rural

The priorities for May to August are as follows:

• Acquisitive vehicle crime. Theft from vehicles and theft of vehicles throughout the rural area is a concern for local communities. We will work with the public and businesses to improve crime prevention awareness and increase patrols in these isolated locations to reduce offences and reassure communities.

• Fly-tipping and related crime along the Herts/Beds border. We will continue to focus on this issue over the coming months, ensuring that close collaboration with colleagues in Bedfordshire continues. We will also continue to undertake dedicated patrols and operations throughout the area.

Increased patrols are being conducted in rural locations affected by vehicle crime, with crime prevention advice delivered to residents, businesses and vehicle owners. Reporting of such issues is encouraged to identify offenders and crime patterns.

Joint working and information sharing with neighbouring Bedfordshire Police and partner agencies is being carried out to identify and tackle fly-tipping. Officers carry out dedicated patrols and enforcement operations in hotspot locations.