Op Hotspot: More than 1,110 hours of additional patrols during first month

More than 1,100 hours of additional police patrols were carried out during the first month of a new initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour and serious violence across Hertfordshire.

Following a successful bid through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, the constabulary secured £1m worth of Government funding to launch Operation Hotspot.

The funding is providing extra foot patrols and increased visibility in identified hotspot areas across all 10 districts of the county.

Throughout June, officers:

• Completed 1,128 hours of additional patrols
• Made 15 arrests for various offences including shoplifting and public order
• Conducted 23 stop searches
• Recovered six weapons
• Made 108 uses of ASB powers, including dispersal orders, Community Protection Warning Notices and Public Space Protection Orders.

Detective Chief Inspector Alex Willcox, who is leading the project, said: “Local communities often tell us they want to see more officers on the streets. This funding allows us to conduct additional high visibility patrols, on top of local daily business, to help deter anti-social behaviour and provide reassurance to members of the public.”

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, said: “Operation Hotspot is all about getting more high visibility patrols into anti-social behaviour hotspots, often in town centres. This is exactly the proactive, visible policing that the public support to provide reassurance and to tackle anti-social behaviour and criminality.

"I’m really pleased to see the positive results from the first few weeks of patrols, which have already made a difference to Hertfordshire communities by dealing with offending and getting weapons off the streets. My thanks to all the police officers and PCSOs who have been doing these additional patrols, often on top of their day-to-day work in communities”.

Following an analysis of data, the project is running in the following areas: Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford, Hitchin, St Albans, Rickmansworth, South Oxhey, Borehamwood, Watford, Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Welwyn Garden City and Waltham Cross.