17 Sep 2024
A major police crackdown on violent crime and anti-social behaviour in St Albans city centre has seen offences fall by 11 per cent.
Fourteen people were arrested, 13 stop searches were carried out and two knives were recovered as part of Operation Hotspot.
The new Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards identified areas in the county for increased police patrols, with St Albans officers carrying out an extra 800 hours of high-visibility patrols since May.
St Albans Neighbourhood Insp Paul Caro said: “We are already seeing some great results following this targeted operation, which is in addition to normal daily business. Our focus is on anti-social behaviour including ASB involving young people, street drinking and the prevention of violent offences. We are making it even harder for anyone to come into our city to commit violent crime or cause anti-social behaviour.”
Meanwhile, new neighbourhood priorities for police in St Albans Central, North and West have been announced.
They include anti-social behaviour, drug use and drug dealing on the Alban Way between Morrisons and Charrington Place between 12 noon and 4pm; anti-social behaviour involving vehicles and young people at Cottonmill Community Centre, Old Oak between 7pm and midnight; and anti-social use of motorbikes in Batchwood open space/New Greens between 6pm and midnight.
Priorities for Harpenden remain the same as officers need to do more work on these issues.
They include drug and alcohol use and associated anti-social behaviour in town parks including Rothamsted; and speeding in Redbourn Road, Marford Road, Station Road, Lower Luton Road, Brewhouse Hill and The Hill, Wheathamstead Road in Harpenden, St Albans Road in Sandridge, The Common in Kinsbourne Green
and Piggotshill Lane.
In London Colney, the neighbourhood priorities are speeding, mobile offences and HGVs using restricted roads, and anti-social use of vehicles at Starbucks, North Orbital Road, Chiswell Green and the surrounding roads including racing on the A405 and A414.
