Update on your St Albans district neighbourhood priorities

Progress is underway to address the latest St Albans district neighbourhood priorities, which were agreed last month, in response to issues raised by local residents.

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

They set local policing priorities every four months, providing a specific focus on the issues that residents have raised via surveys, alongside an analysis of data.

Harpenden and rural

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

We did:

• Proactive patrols around the parks and work with partner agencies including Harpenden Town Council.
• We have identified a group of young people causing anti-social behaviour in parks and in the town. The Community Safety Unit will be making contact with parents.
• We will continue to monitor, engage and deal with any incidents.

You said: Tackle speeding in Harpenden and Sandridge.

We did:

• Speed enforcement checks have been conducted on Luton Road, Redbourn Road, Marford Hill, St Albans Road and Lower Luton Road.
• A man was given a traffic offence report for doing 44mph in a 30mph in Marford Road in Wheathampstead on Monday (23 February). The driver may be sent on a drivers’ improvement course, fined, given points on his licence or could be summonsed directly to court.
• We will continue to go out at different times and days to catch anyone speeding. The presence of officers reminds drivers to slow down.

London Colney, St Stephen and St Albans East

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

We did:

• High-visibility and plain clothed patrols. Three stop searches were carried out on Saturday 7 February under the misuse of drugs act in Dellfield and Richard Stagg Close. As a result, a man was arrested as he was wanted on recall to prison and a second man was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting at the

Co-op in Cell Barnes Lane.

• Three men aged 17, 18 and 25 were arrested at the junction of Mountbatten Close and Cell Barnes Lane at 12.25pm on Sunday 8 February by neighbourhood officers on proactive routine patrol. Knives and suspected drugs were seized.
• Local counsellors have been out on patrol with officers to discuss longer-term improvements in the area.

 

You said: Tackle rowdy, inconsiderate or anti-social behaviour outside Oaklands College

We did:

• Regular high-visibility patrols at random times of the day.
• Dedicated officer PCSO Lou Traxon.
• Closer working with the college for discipline – two pupils have been expelled.
• Enforcement via a community protection warning if further issues arise.
• Working with colleagues from Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Bedfordshire.

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

We did:

• Work continues to address the long-term priority of anti-social driving by Starbucks and the A414 working with partner agencies.

St Albans Central, North and West

You said: Tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the Batchwood ward (Oysterfields, by the hospital and High Oaks)

We did:

• Four adults have been issued community resolutions – three for drugs possession and one for criminal damage.
• We have issued a teenager with a Community Protection Warning. He has also been interviewed in connection with a public order offence.
• We have increased high-visibility and plain clothed patrols at various times.
• We continue to work with hospital operations and security management and Hightown Housing association. We will support any evictions for people intent on causing anti-social behaviour. 

You said: Tackle Drug Related Crime & ASB in St Peter’s Ward (Primarily Charrington Place, streets around St Albans City Train Station & The City Centre)

We did:

• We have increased high-visibility and plain clothed patrols.
• We have spoken to three teenagers at Davy House.
• We have been working with Hightown Housing Association and British Transport Police (BTP)
• We continue to pursue all offenders committing crime and ASB in and around the town centre.

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

Alongside the NPT, St Albans 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 by joining ‘Herts Connected’, our community messaging service. You can set your preferences to receive police messages.