Discover Hertford Online Forum

Reply ID 882

Frustrated of Kingsmead, you are not alone. Residents of Lower Bengeo were informed by the police 8 weeks ago (via a mailout)to accept the fact that we are at a higher risk of garden shed burglaries and that unfortunatley due to resources they could not guarantee patrols or assistance. They did however supply an ulra violet marker pen to personalise our property. Superb bit of local policing! I think not. The very next morning, yes the very next morning outside the Nationwide in Hertford were FOUR Police Officers all giving out parking tickets to the cars parked there. And I confirm that there is nobody to look after my shed or your car because theres no revenue in it.

Reply ID 970

I am soz but the police cnt control everything you know!? If you want something to be done about this then YOU have to help as well as just sit there and moan to your computer!!!

Reply ID 972

This is a common problem in Hertford but ......... The residents on Folly Island have been continuously encouraged to report all incidents however minor or trivial. And request a log number which is also reported to the Neighbourhood Watch offcer. Once the number of incidents as reflected by the increasing log numbers reaches what you and me might call an unacceptable level the local police have to respond. This has resulted on Folly island by increased patrols by both uniformed and plain clothes police. Friday night still loud but the number of incidents has decreased. I know Folly island has a high profile being close to Hartham but the number of seizures of alcohol has also risen on the Common. To a certain extent you have to use the system and it might be optimistic of me, but if the number of incidents logged continues to increase the Home Office wil eventually have to give in and put more police on the streets. There is a reluctance to report incidents owing I know to the fact that you usually get confronted by an answering machine but you have to use the system you've got. I know many people who have many wonderful punishments to hand out to the mindless morons who smash fences, blitz cars and leave their dinners in other peoples front gardens but in this increasing PC world it is the victim who is more likely to be punished when confronting one of these misunderstood children of the twenty first century.

Reply ID 984

Well Sloop that would explain where the massive increase in community charge for policing has gone - they are all taking the easy option of The Folly. It also explains why they took so long to respond to the Ware incident (Mercury) as they were too busy looking for youths! With regard to your point about reporting and the answer machine - 3 weeks ago my wife and I went to Hertford Police Station on a Saurday afternoon to report an incident - waited 15 minutes and the person behind the desk had never left the telephone in that time. Whilst I am not saying it was not a business call it appeared to me (member of the public) to be a very friendly,smiling business call. As we were going to watch Hertford against Havant we went on and tried to ring them - four attempts before Hatfield could put us through (apparently line engaged). I think the larger issue was summed up with the police comment to the traders of Ware that shutters are the best answer against vandalism (Mercury)-to me that is like saying "sort it yourself" and that is very sad.

Reply ID 985

Point taken. One of the reasons it took so long to get people down here to report everything was the lack of response. It is an issue I have raised on many occassions with the police and the standard answer is that it is the system we have got and they are working to improve it. I've tried myself to report something on a quiet Sunday morning and been met with the same speed, or lack of! As for Ware - I have every sympathy with the traders. Joe Public that objects to shutters in conservation areas are not the people that are pulled out of bed in the early hours to secure the shop or pay the insurance premium. I ran an Off Licence and people objected to me replacing 64 odd panes of glass with a sheet of laminated and shatter proof glass. They never had to get out of bed on cold winters mornings either! And they had short memories as well because the old windows had only been there for a short period in the grand march of time. Unfortunately you have to use the system and that still does not stop drunken under age kids smashing down fences on Folly Island - and not metaphorical ones either.

Reply ID 1011

yes set up a camra in your car!!! it worked for me my brother sells them 16.99 for two!!

Reply ID 1019

Whilst most of my contributions to this site make me appear as angry – I can assure you I am not. I love Hertford and feel it is the best place in which I have ever lived. However, I will rail against such things as the police when they are seen as a separate authority. They are, to me, very integral to the society which they serve and as such should come under the control of that community ie. EHDC (the old Watch Committee of HCC). I don’t know the answer to all the various problems but strongly believe sites like this should be a forum where people should express their views. PS. Sad isn’t it that no local politician or rep of the police see fit to enter into the discussion?