Hertfordshire Police is asking Hitchin residents to help decide the local policing priorities for the next four months, with officers urging people to have their say on the issues that matter most in their neighbourhood.

Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) across Hertfordshire are gathering public feedback ahead of setting a new round of priorities in September.

Over the past three months, local teams have focused on issues including anti-social behaviour, dangerous driving, road safety and drug-related crime after residents identified them as key concerns.

Now police want fresh feedback to help shape the next set of priorities.

Residents can complete the online survey here: https://bit.ly/hertspolice-psf

Neighbourhood Policing Teams work with local councils and partner organisations to tackle both long and short-term issues affecting communities. Depending on local concerns, priorities can include anti-social behaviour, speeding, theft, vehicle crime and drug offences.

Once priorities have been agreed, residents can expect to see increased patrols, community engagement events and targeted enforcement activity aimed at tackling those issues.

Hertfordshire Police stressed that while neighbourhood officers focus on locally agreed priorities, response officers, detectives and specialist teams will continue to deal with emergency incidents and investigate crimes such as burglary, robbery and assault. Force-wide priorities, including tackling violence against women and girls, will also remain a focus.

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Police say public feedback plays a significant role in deciding which issues neighbourhood teams concentrate on, alongside analysis of local crime and incident data.

Anyone who has completed previous surveys is encouraged to take part again, as priorities are reviewed every four months.

The survey is hosted through the Herts Connected platform, although residents do not need to register to submit their views. Those who sign up can also receive updates and be contacted by police about local issues where appropriate.

Residents can also see what people in their neighbourhood are saying by visiting the Herts Connected website and entering their postcode, while updates on local policing priorities are available through Hertfordshire Police's "Your Area" webpages and local Facebook accounts.