Forms of Anti-Social Behaviour dealt with by the Police
Certain types of ASB are dealt with by the Police, sometimes in co-ordination with other agencies such as the Council's Environmental Health or Housing Landlord teams.
Below is some brief information about these, along with links to the Hertfordshire Constabulary website, which features more detailed advice and information.
Domestic burglary and home security
Whilst the likelihood of actually being burgled is low (and has dropped over the past few years, the fear of being burgled is a real concern for many people.
Furthermore, the recent trend of distraction burglaries (or "bogus callers") is something the police have been working hard to raise awareness about and help people prevent.
One of the key ways to deter burglars or prevent them from succeeding is to ensure you have good home security systems. These don't need to be very expensive and Hertfordshire Constabulary provide some excellent tips for keeping your home and belongings safe.
It is important to make sure you have adequate and up-to-date home insurance, so that if you are unlucky enough to be burgled you can recover your losses. If you are a Welwyn Hatfield Council tenant you may be interested in joining our Tenants' Home Contents Insurance Scheme.
Street crime and robbery
A lot of people feel most vulnerable to crime when they are out and about. Incidents of personal theft, mugging and violence are still very rare in Hertfordshire relative to many other areas, but the NACRO survey revealed that people are more anxious about walking around their neighbourhoods now than they used to be, especially at night.
There has also been an increase in mobile phone theft over the past few years, as more people own these and they are expensive items, which can be hard to identify and lucrative to sell. See the Constabulary website for tips on mobile phone security. There is also information on how to keep yourself safe on the street - walking, driving or using other transport, and advice on cycle safety too.
Vehicle crime
Around one third of all reported crime in Hertfordshire relates to stolen vehicles and theft of property from them. Having your car stolen is a distressing experience - you may be left stranded from home and with little money. Insurance claims can take a long time to sort out, and even if your car is returned to you it may be in need of repair before you can use it again.
However, car crime is easy to prevent. Most car thieves do not plan their break-ins but seize opportunities when they arise. Good security will help deter thieves and there are some other simple measures you can take in order to prevent your vehicle and belongings being stolen. Vehicle security advice is available from the Hertfordshire Constabulary.
Drug-related crime
The term 'drug-related crime' refers to any criminal activity that is committed either to fund or as a consequence of drug misuse. Broadly speaking, drug-related crime falls into three types:
- crimes of supply - commonly understood as 'drug-trafficking'
- crimes committed as a result of dependency or intoxication (for example, theft to fund a drug 'habit'
- crimes of possession of legal substances.
Hertfordshire Constabulary, along with other agencies such as the Cedar Project and Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust are working hard to tackle the problems of drug-related activities - including crime - and their social impacts.
As a landlord, Welwyn Hatfield Council adopts the following approach in dealing with drug-related incidents that involve our tenants:
- we will support victims of drug-related crimes and assist the Police, where possible, to identify and prosecute the perpetrator
- we will support tenants whose use of drugs has led them into difficulty, putting them in contact with advice and/or health agencies who can help
- we will not tolerate drug dealers and will work with the Police to take action against them
- where a Council tenant is convicted of a drug-related offence action will be taken to repossess their home.
If you have any information about suspected drug dealing or misuse, or you have information about where and when drug dealing is happening please report this to the Police.