Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, will address town hotspots, hare coursing, and crime investigation during next week’s public holding to account meeting with the Chief Constable.

The Commissioner wants to know what the Constabulary is doing to tackle these issues, alongside progress made to improve crime recording data and the latest situation on firearms licensing.

The public can watch the meeting between Mr. Ash-Edwards and Chief Constable Andy Prophet via a webcast on Thursday, 15th May at 10:30 am. Attendees can register for the meeting at https://bit.ly/APMMAY25.

The Commissioner wants to check on the progress of Operation Hotspot, the £1m government-funded scheme which, in the past year, has seen thousands of hours of extra patrols take place in town centres across the county to address anti-social behaviour and serious crime. He also wants to know how it will be delivered over the next year to cut crime even further.

In relation to hare coursing, following concerns from local farmers, he will ask how many incidents the Constabulary responds to and what action is being taken.

The latest progress on police efforts to address concerns raised by the government inspectors in their PEEL report will also be discussed, specifically around steps taken to ensure crimes are recorded correctly and that crimes are investigated properly.

Finally, the long-standing issue with delays in issuing firearms licences is on the agenda so the Chief Constable can provide an update on the latest action taken to reduce the backlog.

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, said:

“I launched Operation Hotspot a year ago when I took office and throughout that time it has led to hundreds of extra arrests, which has taken criminals off our streets. I am keen to hear the final outcomes and how the project will be rolled out for the forthcoming year to make the streets even safer.

“Recently I attended a series of barn meets with farmers and the local communities. One crime type they were particularly concerned about was hare coursing on their land which also often involves criminal damage and trespassing. I want to know what counter measures have been put in place and how effective they are.

“I take these matters seriously, along with the other topic on the agenda. I hope the public will find it useful to hear what is being done to address them. The meeting will be broadcast live online with a recording available to watch back shortly after.”

The Accountability and Performance Meetings will take place at Police Headquarters in Welwyn Garden City. A recording will also be available to view on the PCC’s website along with more details and previous recordings herts-pcc.gov.uk/apm.