Police are again warning of deicing risks this year – where motorists leave unattended vehicles with their engines running in an effort to defrost them.

Chris comments: ‘I have seen this myself. Thieves are aware of this practice and will steal your vehicle on cold mornings if you leave it unattended with the keys in the lock.’

For more see here.

Responding to the announcement at SADC Cabinet by the Chief Executive that the Police and Crime Commissioner had agreed to the police renting space on the ground floor of the Civic Offices, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Anthony Rowlands said:

The Police and Crime Commissioner claims that he is readily available to deal with concerns. So if you are unhappy with the way policing is going then contact him on: David.LLOYD@Herts.pnn.police.uk

The Lib Dems in St Albans have slammed the police for being ‘woefully out of touch’.

Local county and district councillor Chris White said: ‘A number of councillors have received a letter basically telling us that they have ignored the public concern about the closure of the front desk in St Albans – something criticised by a meeting of St Albans district council only ten days ago.

‘The letter goes on to tell councillors: “A front counter service will continue to be offered at Rickmansworth Police Station”.

‘Two questions arise:

1. If the police is short of money why are they sending out posh looking letters rather than sending emails like any normal organisation?

2. Why have they totally ignored the offer by St Albans district council to host a front desk service – apparently acceptable in Three Rivers District area?’

Lib Dem Council Group Leader Anthony Rowlands added ‘The negotiations with the District Council for the police to use some of the vacant space at the Civic Offices presents a golden opportunity to retain front desk access in St Albans. This proposal was supported unanimously at July’s Full Council meeting. We are also looking to the Police and Crime Commissioner to work with Parish and Town Councils, supermarkets and other operators with significant public access to provide new personal access and crime reporting points. Lets’ hope he responds positively to these constructive proposals.’

Liberal Democrat County Councillor Malcolm Cowan (Handside and Peartree) is speaking out about the farce where County Councillors are not permitted to ask the Police and Crime Commissioner  about policing and crime issues here in Hertfordshire.

Malcolm said, “When we were forced to have an elected Police and Crime Commissioner, we were told it would make the position ‘publicly accountable’.

“Well, do you know anyone who is allowed to quiz him? David Lloyd was previously chairman of the all-party Police Authority, and thecounty council could question him.

“No-one expected him to carry on as a county councillor, earning another salary on top of his £80,000, but he has.

“But now he won’t answer questions from other county councillors – he just sits there grinning.

“This means that decisions like closing almost all police ‘Public Enquiry Counters’, go unchallenged.”

Message from the Police and Crime Commissioner

Dear partners and residents

Launching the Commissioner’s Community Fund

I am pleased to announce the launch of the Commissioner’s Community Fund – a new initiative that will provide support to innovative local schemes which aim to make our communities safer. As I said in my Police and Crime Plan, ‘Everybody’s Business’ I want to help individuals, communities and businesses to get together and generate ideas. This could range from small-scale purchases that will improve communities to capacity building work, or big ideas needing match funding.

I am keen to support projects that show a strong partnership ethos. For example, where a local community proposes a project requiring manual labour to achieve their objectives offenders on Community Payback could be drafted in to support via the local Community Safety Partnership. I will be working with partner organisations to ensure that support is targeted to work that complements, rather than duplicates, existing activity.

I have allocated £250,000 to the Commissioner’s Community Fund for 2013. Bids are welcomed from any partnerships, community groups or organisations whose projects, services or activities contribute towards the priority areas set out in the Police and Crime Plan  for Hertfordshire. These priorities include focusing on the needs of the public, particularly victims of crime, ensuring that offenders make amends and pay back for the cost of crime and developing plans to apply greater business sense.

Bids should be submitted to thefund@herts.pnn.police.uk and will be considered on a quarterly basis, with first allocations being made this summer. Further details on the process are below. Please feel free to contact my office with any queries. In addition to this support, each council area has a Community Safety Partnership, with whom you may also wish to discuss your proposals.

St Albans police station is to become a half empty office block under plans sneaked out by the Police Commissioner just after the elections. There will be no front desk so if you need to hand in a document or speak to someone face to face, you’ll have to drive to Hemel.

Deputy Leader of the St Albans Liberal Democrat Group, Chris White said: ‘There was a plan to get rid of large police stations and get the police closer to residents in shop fronts in various parts of the district.

‘The closure of the front desk by contrast is the worst of all possible worlds – the police will become remoter than ever and yet continue to occupy a valuable building in central St Albans which could have been sold off to provide more money for policing.’

Chris has pledged to write to the Conservative Police Commissioner to express opposition to the move and to demand that there is a proper consultation with local residents and councillors.

Liberal Democrat County Councillors are shocked and disturbed to learn that Chief Executive Andrew White has stepped down from his £123,000 role having previously held the the top job at the county’s now defunct police authority.

Members of Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Panel were told of the departure on Monday.

Mr White has become the second senior figure to leave Police Crime Commissioner David Lloyd’s office in the last two weeks following the departure of the commissioner’s deputy Rachel Frosh.