This gives a total of 139 offences for the first nine months of the year.

We are now moving into the darker nights and colder mornings. Time to give you the annual reminders about resetting time lights. It is the period from 3pm to 8pm which is the most vulnerable for burglaries at this time of the year.

It is theft and damage to motor vehicles that has shown the greatest increase over this quarter.

Road Traffic

With the autumn and winter weather arriving, meake sure that your car is up to the job. Keep your distance and keep your speed down.

Yet another reminder about go-peds. DO NOT allow your kids to use these on the roads. If anyone is found doing so they will be prosecuted. We will also be seeking to prosecute the parents for letting it happen.

General Matters

And finally, this is the last newsletter that you will be receiving from me.

For those of you who visit the local website, you will already be aware that I am moving on.

A few weeks ago I was elected as Secretary of the Hertfordshire Police Federation. I am sure that there are many of you that are now scratching your heads, so let me explain.

The Police Federation is the staff association for the police service; it represents police officers up to and including the rank of chief inspectors. Its role is to negotiate on pay and conditions of service. It is also consulted over changes to legislation and many other issues relating to the delivery of the policing service.

I have been in Brookmans Park for the past 15 years, and it has reached the stage where I can not make any more of a difference without extra resources.

In my new role, I will have the opportunity to influence, in some small way, the effort to improve the quality of service that is provided to the people of Hertfordshire.

Policing is something that I believe in passionately. I have made comments before via this newsletter that police officers do not go out to do a bad job each day.

They have to operate within a legal framework and suffer the same frustrations as you do about their lack of ability to be able to do what they believe in, ensure a fair and just society, protect the vulnerable in our communities and basically catch and lock up the bad people.

I have enjoyed my time in Brookmans Park. Most of the people have been helpful. The Neighbourhood watch group has always been supportive and taken on board the issues raised. I believe that by working with you we have been able to maintain a low level in Brookmans Park.

Let me take you back to 1990, there were 54 dwelling burglaries, so far this year there have been 19. The crime level in 1990 was 211 crimes, for 2003 the yearly total was 181. For 2003 throughout the county the crime rate was 83.5 per 1000 of population. For us the rate is roughly 30 per 1000. This, despite crime rates rising throughout the rest of society over the same period, and the best efforts of the Home Office to keep changing the accounting rules.

I will still be a Police Officer and I will still be living in the area.

Vojislav Mihailovic
November 2004

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The community police officer can be contacted at his office on (01707-638112). You can discuss the crime figures and Neighbourhood Watch in this site's forum.

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