Community-run speed cameras are just one of many groundbreaking proposals outlined in the county’s first official police and crime plan.
As reported in last week’s Gazette, police and crime commissioner David Lloyd has launched the final draft of his five-year plan, and has outlined many other initiatives alongside the people-powered DriveSafe project.
One such proposal is the ‘offender pays’ policy, which met with national media attention earlier this year. Mr Lloyd’s idea is that criminals will be presented with a bill whenever costs are incurred to the tax payer, for example, the expense of destroying seized drugs or replacing damaged police equipment.
An online feedback form for the plan’s initial draft received more than 200 responses during the consultation period, 139 from residents.
Of the different elements, the ‘offender pays’ policy appeared to be most popular, with 52 people saying they were explicitly in favour of the theme, and only seven individuals explicitly against.
Other policies were also well received, including a new website, hertsreunited.co.uk, which will be launched to help reunite stolen property with its rightful owners using an image bank of property recovered by police.
Additionally, the plan includes the proposal to expand Hertfordshire’s Special Constabulary by introducing at least one officer to every rural beat, and raising the number of applicants accepted.
Mr Lloyd said: “My task as this county’s first police and crime commissioner is not to turn around a blighted place which is struggling, but to help Hertfordshire build on already strong foundations.
“This is a plan that recognises the best the county has to offer currently, but which raises the bar for the future.”