Senior police officers in Hertfordshire have presented their community engagement strategies to a panel of local representatives, as part of a drive to improve neighbourhood policing and public trust.

The meeting, held on Monday at police headquarters during national Neighbourhood Policing Week, brought together Chief Inspectors from each district and borough to share how their teams are engaging with residents to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

Led by Chief Constable Andy Prophet and Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards, the event allowed community organisations to review and comment on policing plans. Representatives from groups including One Vision, Herts Pride, St Albans Islamic Centre, and Watford Women's Centre were among those offering feedback.

Chief Constable Prophet praised the input of attendees, saying:

"Community feedback is vital. It helps us understand what is happening in communities which in turn means we are better able to prevent crime and arrest criminals. My teams will continue to listen to the residents and businesses in Hertfordshire, acting on their concerns and importantly letting them know what we have done as a result. This is key to maintaining public trust and confidence."

Commissioner Ash-Edwards echoed the importance of meaningful engagement:

"Engagement isn't an end in itself. It's about building public trust and ensuring people have confidence to come forward with information about crime or anti-social behaviour."

Among those attending was Tyson Martin from Herts Pride, who acknowledged police efforts to connect with LGBTQ+ residents:

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"Police in Hertfordshire should be proud of their efforts to engage with the LGBTQ+ community, including developing one of the largest LGBTQ+ liaison officer programmes in the UK. There is still more to do to build trust across all the LGBTQ community and underrepresented groups, but the commitment to listen and improve is clear."

The session was part of Hertfordshire Constabulary's support for #NeighbourhoodPolicingWeek, which highlights the critical work of Neighbourhood Policing Teams across the country.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed and get involved by following their local police on Facebook or signing up for free local alerts at hertsconnected.co.uk.