New neighbourhood priorities set for St Albans district

The next set of neighbourhood priorities for St Albans, Harpenden and London Colney have been agreed and will be set for the next few months.

The two **new** priorities for St Albans Central, North and West are:

1. Vehicles being driven anti-socially in High Oaks and in the area of St Albans City Hospital, Batchwood.

2. Anti-social behaviour in Charrington Place.

You previously said: Tackle anti-social motorbikes, e-bikes, e-scooters on the New Greens Estate, by St Albans City Hospital and on the Oysterfields estate.

We did:

o Dedicated operations to target the anti-social use of electric motorbikes and scooters with support from especially trained officers.

o Two e-scooters and two throttle-assisted e-bikes were seized and one rider from Oysterfields was charged with driving offences.

o Spoke to people using or pushing bikes about where they can ride and what driving documents (insurance/MOT) they need.

o Partnership working with St Albans City Hospital Operations and Security.

 

You previously said: Tackle drug dealing, drug use and robberies along the Alban Way between Orient Close and Morrisons.

We did:

o Identified a ‘hotspot’ area.

o Increased, regular plain clothed and high-visibility patrols.

o Partnership working with St Albans District Council and the Probation Service led to the area being cleared and further litter picks carried out.

o Knife sweeps along the Alban Way.

o Knife arch at the local school and college.

 

The priorities for Harpenden and rural are going to remain for the next few months as more work needs to be done to address these priorities. They are:

You said: Anti-social behaviour around local parks, including drinking alcohol, smoking drugs and abusive behaviour.

We did:

o Increased regular, proactive high-visibility patrols in parks on foot and on e-bikes.

o Worked with Harpenden town council and British Transport Police.

o Issued three Acceptable Behaviour Agreements recently to young people.

o Plain clothed operations targeting bike thefts around Rothampsted.

You said: Speeding in Harpenden and Sandridge.

We did:

o Speed indication device used to give stern words of advice in Redbourn Road, Lower Luton Road and Marford Hill.

o This will be followed up with the speed gun in identified areas over the next few weeks, where drivers could receive points of their licences, fines or be summonsed directly to court for excessive speed.

o Several disqualified drivers have been stopped and cars seized for offences including not having insurance, MOT or the correct driving licence.

 

The **new** priority for London Colney, St Stephens and St Albans East is:

1. You said: Anti-social behaviour and drug use in The Camp, including Aldwick Court, Cunningham playing fields and Cell Barnes Lane.

ASB outside Oaklands College and vehicle-related ASB on the A414 will continue, as more work needs to be done to address these two priorities.

2. You said: Rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour/ASB outside Oaklands College

The anti-social behaviour reported includes littering, smoking, and committing public order offences outside the college during break times and after lessons, affecting passers-by and nearby residents.

We did:

o We have been working closely with the college, Speckled Hen and local shops.

o Increased high-visibility patrols

o We have issued community resolutions and issued words of advice to students and spoken to their parents

o We are now working with the police Community Support Unit to issue anti-social behaviour agreements to repeat offenders.

 

3. You said: Vehicle related anti-social behaviour at Starbucks and the A414 North Orbital Road.

This is a long-term neighbourhood priority of vehicle related anti-social driving, illegal car meets and excessive noise along the A405 in Chiswell Green.

We did:

o We have been working on this complex long-term neighbourhood priority with Starbucks, Herts Highways, Herts County Council, local councillors, local residents, Burston Garden Centre and the PCCs office for the past five-and-a -half years.

o Acoustic monitoring technology was installed last year to measure vehicles emitting noise above the legal threshold, funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner. St Albans Neighbourhood officers were the driving force behind the new technology being installed.

The number of reports has dramatically reduced over the past few months.

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Over the past few months, Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) across the St Albans district have been working to tackle the issues that residents said were causing them the most concern.

NPTs work alongside partners to focus on solving long and short-term neighbourhood issues, such as anti-social behaviour, theft, speeding and drug-related crime.

They provide a specific focus on the issues that residents have raised through surveys, alongside an analysis of data.

Residents will see their dedicated team of PCs and PCSOs working alongside partners to tackle the issues, through an increased police presence, engagement events and targeted enforcement.

Whilst there will be a focus on the local priorities, officers will continue to respond to daily business as usual, as well as forcewide priorities and any emerging issues which require more immediate action.

Alongside the NPT, the St Albans district is also policed by officers who respond to emergency calls, a team of detectives who investigate crimes such as burglary, robbery and assault, and specialist units who work to tackle issues such as acquisitive crime and domestic abuse. In addition, they can call on officers from central teams which work countywide. You can have your say on ‘Herts Connected’, our community messaging service, and receive up-to-date information about what’s happening in your local area.