26 September 2013 Public Meeting

Talk by Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner


On 26th September PCC David Lloyd gave a talk to the Harpenden Society on his role as the county's Police and Crime Commissioner. He lives at Flamstead, had a son at St George's and his office has just moved to the Police Station in Vaughan Road, Harpenden - so he came to us with at least some local connections.


In his talk he set his post in the context of local politics; he expressed his intention to focus on the victims of crime, who often feel lost in the system, rather than on policemen; he stated his intention to ‘bring everyone to the table' (County, District and Town Councils, the health authorities and the private sector) and to avoid crime being just an issue for the constabulary; and he outlined his two main duties (to prepare a Police and Crime Plan for 2013 and beyond and to hold the Chief Constable to account).


He then spoke on four themes that are addressed in his Police and Crime Plan:


Building on success (he claimed Hertfordshire had the most successful Constabulary in the country, with 40% of crimes solved and a falling crime level, but pointed out an anachronism: areas with the lowest rate of crime tend to have the greatest fear of crime!)


Developing a public focus by getting everyone involved, including as volunteers (the Police and Crime Plan 2013 is subtitled ‘Everybody's Business')


Making the offender pay (he cited the ‘drunk tanks' that were much in the news)


Inculcating a better business sense e.g. by outsourcing and increasing efficiencies (the Constabulary needs to make savings of approximately one-third).


The meeting was reported in the Herts Advertiser, which drew attention to the Town Mayor's comment that unnecessary and unjustifiable fear of crime was an issue to be addressed in the town. Mr Lloyd commented that this was ‘the most difficult thing I have to try and do’.

David Lloyd, Police & Crime Commissioner