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I wanted to provide you with an update regarding Anti Social Behaviour, which people around your area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the priority survey. This week, we have quite a large update involving several arrests, seizures and good work conducted by our officers in Stevenage. We have also got some good results as a result of some operations which have been conducted over several months which I have listed below.
More than 50,000 hours of targeted hotspot patrols have been delivered across Hertfordshire as part of work to crack down on crime, anti-social behaviour and violence in identified hotspots.
Operation Hotspot, an initiative launched by the Police and Crime Commissioner with funding secured by his office, focuses on town centres and areas experiencing higher levels of anti-social behaviour, violence and acquisitive crime, providing visible Policing, prevention activity and proactive enforcement.
Since April 2024, hotspot officers have completed an additional 50,846 patrol hours across the county, carrying out hundreds of stop searches, engaging with thousands of residents and businesses and taking away dangerous weapons and offenders off the streets.
In Stevenage the hotspot area was identified as the Old Town Area.
- 5,283 hours of additional patrols in the hotspot area
- 74 arrests made
- 25 weapons seized
- 209 uses of anti-social behaviour powers
- 7.3% reduction in Anti-Social Behaviour
Recently, you may have seen a couple of knife bins that have cropped up in Stevenage. These bins are designed for people to anonymously surrender knives and offensive weapons and in doing so, reduce knife crime in the town as a whole. They are part of the outstanding success of the Lives Not Knives campaign which also included the Knife Angel statue that came to Hertfordshire some months ago which raised significant awareness on how knife crime affects those around us.
As a result of these knife bins, we have managed to seize the following;
- 36 Knives
- 1 Knuckle Duster
These weapons could cause serious harm to others, so seeing them being taken off the streets makes Stevenage a safer place overall. Knife crime remains low in Hertfordshire, however we will continue to take both a firm and proactive stance on knife crime by seizing weapons, hosting amnesties, conducting stop and searches, hosting safeguarding events and responding to jobs.
The locations of these bins are at the flowing places;
- Fire Station, St Georges Way, Stevenage, SG1 1HS
- Church Lane South Car Park, Old Town, Stevenage
A woman has been charged following a theft from a shop in Stevenage.
Charlotte Oakley, aged 39 of The Wades, Hatfield, was charged with theft of clothing from Next, on the Roaring Meg Retail Park on Friday 22 May.
She is due to appear at St Albans Magistrates Court on Tuesday 23 June.
Police had attended Stevenage Train station on 28 May after there were reports of a fight that had occurred involving several people. When police attended the scene, it was stated that a male had made threats to several other members of the public, stating that they had a knife on them. Due to this, a juvenile suspect was arrested for affray and taken to Stevenage Police Station for questioning. The juvenile has been released on bail whilst further enquiries are conducted and the matter is investigated further.
A male was arrested for failure to appear to court after reports had come in regarding him attending a shop he had been banned from.
It was reported that the man had gone to Boots in Stevenage Town Centre and started banging on the door trying to get in. As he is banned from the store, a call was made to police and upon attendance, he was arrested for the Failure to Appear on the 16 May, he was sent to court the following day for the offence.
A male was arrested and charged in relation to indecent exposure following a report from Stevenage Town Centre on 18 May.
Godfred Bosompen, aged 29, of no fixed abode, was arrested and charged with outraging public decency. He was ordered to pay £214 in fines and given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Operation Scootherts continues to see police seizing both e-scooters and e-bikes on their high visibility patrols. This week, the following has been seized;
X1 – E-scooter
X1 – E-bike
Both riders have been reported the relevant offences and their vehicles have been both seized and crushed. The drivers now await court dates for their points and fines.
 Tackling antisocial behaviour can be a complex issue, and one which requires input and action from more than just the police. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 aims to put victims first, giving power to local people and enabling professionals to find the best solutions for their local area. The act provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to antisocial behaviour. These include: - civil injunctions.
- criminal behaviour orders.
- public spaces protection orders.
- community protection notices.
- dispersal powers.
- closure powers.
The act also includes measures such as the Community Remedy and antisocial behaviour case reviews which empower victims and communities to have a say in the outcome of their reports and hold agencies to account. If you ever experience this issue or have information regarding an incident, please report it using our online reporting tools at https://www.herts.police.uk, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org. Get Involved Please consider getting involved by registering for these messages, this will enable you to contribute to the local priority survey. We may be unaware of issues that you would like us to focus on. Take a few minutes to securely and privately register and have your say using the button below, this will mean we can focus on things that matter to you. 
Please click here to complete the survey
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