Crime in Handside, Welwyn Hatfield

• Anti-social behaviour and drugs around Lemsford Road.
• Theft from motor vehicles.

Drug issues at Parkhouse Court...

Officers have been carrying out patrols and developing intelligence so that appropriate action can be taken.

Residents have been encouraged to continue reporting concerns via 101 or online at https://www.herts.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us-beta/contact-us/

A warrant was carried out in nearby Aviation Avenue on Wednesday 11 February. Two people were arrested at the property, one was later charged and both have now been moved from the area. A 25 year old man from Aviation Avenue was charged with possession of cocaine and cannabis. A 33 year old man from Aviation Avenue was given a community resolution for possession of cannabis. Cannabis, cocaine, phones and cash were seized from the property.

We are continuing to work with partners to target harden the area and make sure the flats are secure. Target hardening is a security strategy that involves strengthening a property or location to make it harder for offenders to access, increasing the effort required for a crime, and deterring potential intruders. We have a dedicated operation underway (Operation Cavetto) to achieve this.

Theft of bicycles...

We carried out patrols and hosted regular bike-marking events. Over 80 bikes have been security marked. Bike marking acts as a visible deterrent to thieves and boosts the chances of the bike being recovered if it is stolen. We recommend that residents also register their bike on the national database www.bikeregister.com

We are also working with the university to increase bike security on campus.

As a result of these measures, reports of bike theft have fallen significantly. There has been 21 offences from January to April, compared to 47 from September to December last year.