Come and meet Sean Prendergast in Bishop's Stortford on Saturday 27th April
Bishop’s Stortford residents are invited to share their views on crime and anti social behaviour in the area at a meet and greet event with Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner candidate Sean Prendergast being held in the town on Saturday 27th April.
Liberal Democrat candidate Cllr Prendergast will be speaking at a Q&A event at the town’s Apton Centre on Saturday 27th April at 1.30pm ahead of the Police and Crime Commissioner election on Thursday 2nd May.
Residents will also be able to meet and share their views with Sean and his team earlier in the day from 10am at a Liberal Democrat stall in the high street.
The former Police Community Support Officer is currently a member of North Herts Council and serves as a charity trustee for survivors of domestic abuse. If elected as Hertfordshire’s PCC, Cllr Prendergast has pledged to strengthen community policing in the area to tackle crime and anti social behaviour such as vandalism.
He said: “We need a more active Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire. One who is actually involved and engaged with the community they serve.
"We need more police on the streets and need to prioritise visible local community and neighbourhood policing. The current Conservative commissioner has made a conscious decision not to fill PCSO posts this year. This is unacceptable.
“We need more local policing, not less. Community and neighbourhood policing is essential in preventing and detecting crime yet there has been a reduction in community grants. The Conservative incumbent has failed to allocate the resources he has at his disposal and to build the community relationships needed to reduce and prevent crime.”
Cllr Prendergast also pointed to recent incidents of vandalism and anti social behaviour in the area, including the recent damage to Southern Country Park, as examples of where stronger community initiatives could help.
“We need greater emphasis on positive neighbourhood policing to deal with the type of issues that impact communities the most. Like burglary, vehicle theft and anti social behaviour.
“The recent vandalism in Southern Country Park is just one example of crime which seriously impacts and affects the community. Effective and visible neighbourhood policing can not only tackle such crime but hopefully foster and strengthen the community partnerships to help prevent it in the first place.
“I am looking forward to meeting local residents to hear their views and share my vision for policing in Hertfordshire.”
The election to appoint the next Police Crime Commissioner for the county will take place on Thursday, May 2.