Hertfordshire Constabulary's Vision for Community-Policing

Strategic Insights -

Hertfordshire Constabulary Chief Constable Andy Prophet outlined his vision for community-policing, emphasizing the importance of being visible and tackling crime at its root. Prophet, who took over as chief constable in January, wants officers to prioritize foot patrols over car-based responses. By the end of the month, a named police officer will be assigned to every community, with contact details available on the force's website.

Prophet, who spent 10 years as a constable and sergeant, believes that policing should focus on preventing crime, solving it, and looking after people. He aims to achieve this by targeting known crime hotspots and engaging with the community to gather information and prevent blind-spots. The chief constable is confident that by focusing on the right places and people, crime can be driven down. However, he acknowledged that the 100,000 crimes reported to the constabulary in a year is still "too many" for the county's 1.2 million population.

Key Takeaways:

  • Chief Constable Andy Prophet aims to prioritize foot patrols over car-based responses in Hertfordshire Constabulary.
  • By the end of the month, a named police officer will be assigned to every community, with contact details available on the force's website.
  • The police force will focus on targeting known crime hotspots, such as high streets, parks, and gathering places.
  • Good community engagement is crucial to gather information and prevent blind-spots.
  • The chief constable aims to drive down crime by focusing on the right places and people.
  • Hertfordshire Constabulary currently reports 100,000 crimes per year, which is "too many" for the county's population.
  • The force aims to improve its service from its current "good", "adequate", "requires improvement", and "inadequate" ratings to "outstanding" by 2026.
  • Hertfordshire Constabulary is a "really strong organisation" with "lots of potential to improve".

Statistics:

  • 100,000 crimes reported to Hertfordshire Constabulary in a year.
  • 1.2 million population of Hertfordshire.
  • 29 years of service in Essex Police for Andy Prophet before taking over as chief constable of Hertfordshire Constabulary.
  • HMICFRS inspection ratings for Hertfordshire Constabulary: "good" in one area, "adequate" in three, "requires improvement" in four, and "inadequate" in one.
  • Goal for 2026: achieve "outstanding" service ratings from HMICFRS.

Sources:

  • Hertfordshire Constabulary's website
  • Local Democracy Reporter Byline: Deborah Price
  • Image: Hertfordshire Chief constable Andy Prophet (JPIMedia)
  • HMICFRS inspection report on Hertfordshire Constabulary (exact date not specified in the source material)