The Public Health and Community Safety Cabinet Panel met on Thursday 23 April 2026 to discuss a range of important issues, including an update on policing and crime, the new Hertfordshire Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, and the delivery plan for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Key decisions included the approval of a £15 increase to the police precept and the noting of the new multi-agency VAWG strategy.

Police and Crime Update

Councillor Matt Fisher, the council's representative on the Police and Crime Panel, provided an update on policing matters. The panel approved a £15 increase to the police precept for Band D properties, bringing the annual charge to £280. This increase, the maximum allowed without a referendum, is necessary to address rising costs in pay and inflation, and to rebuild depleted reserves. Public consultation showed strong support for the increase, with 68% in favour, and residents prioritised visible neighbourhood policing, road safety enforcement, and tackling burglary and anti-social behaviour.

Key themes emerging from the scrutiny of policing included:

• Modernisation and efficiency: An investment of £1.04 million in AI and data systems, including Palantir, was noted. While this is intended to support better decision-making, the panel stressed the importance of human oversight. Concerns were raised about the use of Palantir and the availability of UK-developed alternatives.
• Workforce and leadership: Efforts to strengthen middle management and operational resilience were discussed, with a focus on providing mentorship to younger officers.
• Public confidence and communication: Addressing the gap between perceived and actual crime was highlighted as a priority. The panel emphasised the role of councillors in promoting platforms like Neighbourhood Watch and Herts Connected to share accurate local information and counter misinformation.

Discussions also touched upon the practical use of e-bikes in neighbourhood policing and the electrification of the police fleet, with infrastructure and charging capabilities identified as key challenges. Councillor Kelly echoed concerns about the ethical use of AI, stressing the importance of human oversight.

Hertfordshire's Multi-Agency Strategy for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

Katie Fulton and Helen Gledhill presented Hertfordshire's first multi-agency VAWG Strategy for 2026-2029. This strategy expands on previous domestic abuse strategies to encompass a wider spectrum of harm, including sexual abuse, stalking, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and honour-based abuse. The strategy has been developed with input from over 3,000 Hertfordshire residents and VAWG specialists, including survivors.

The strategy is built around four key priorities:

1. Act before harm occurs: Focusing on prevention through education, promoting male allyship via White Ribbon Accreditation, and implementing communication campaigns to challenge harmful attitudes.
2. Identify and stop those causing harm: Strengthening multi-agency approaches to perpetrator identification, risk management, and the criminal justice response, alongside developing behaviour change programmes.
3. Increase safety for victims and survivors: Enhancing community services through training, robust risk assessment, effective Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), clear referral pathways, and commissioning high-quality support services. This priority also includes ensuring safety within safe accommodation, implementing a Whole Housing Approach, and addressing women's homelessness.
4. Support after harm has occurred: Developing a One Stop Shop model for holistic support (therapeutic, legal, economic, housing) and ensuring access to peer and community-based support for long-term stability.

The strategy adopts a gendered, trauma-informed, intersectional, and survivor-led approach, acknowledging that individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, older people, carers, and those with no recourse to public funds, may face unique barriers to support. The panel noted the strategy and discussed how members could support its delivery.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service CRMP Delivery Plan Update

Mark Barber, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, and David Daw, Head of Service Improvement, presented an update on Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's (HFRS) performance against the 2025/26 Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) delivery plan and outlined priorities for 2026/27.

Overall delivery for 2025/26 was described as strong, with significant progress made in operational equipment, digital systems, workforce development, and governance. Key achievements included investment in frontline capabilities, the introduction of a Staff Shadow Board, and strengthened governance arrangements.

Looking ahead to 2026/27, the delivery plan focuses on responding to inspectorate actions, prevention improvement, organisational learning, and enhanced performance insight. Continued investment in people, digital systems, and infrastructure is planned.

However, areas of concern were highlighted, particularly regarding station refurbishments and estate compliance, where funding constraints and Equality Act considerations present risks. These projects are behind schedule, though significant capital investment has been guaranteed for the next two financial years.

The panel also received an update on the HMICFRS inspection report and action plan. HFRS has made considerable progress in addressing the 19 recommendations for improvement, with a focus on a rigorous three lines of assurance approach to ensure changes are embedded. While most actions are expected to be substantially implemented before the next inspection in autumn 2026, some cultural and workforce improvements will take longer. Significant progress has been made on the accelerated cause of concern, with one of the five recommendations closed and the others internally closed pending external confirmation.

Discussions during this item included concerns about the Longfield training facilities and station refurbishments, with Councillor John Howe questioning the sufficiency of future capital funding. Councillor Ben Crystal sought clarification on the Hertford fire station upgrade, and Councillor Morris Bright acknowledged the good progress while focusing on the critical Longfield site and station accommodation. The potential impact of Local Government Reform (LGR) on these plans was also discussed.

The panel noted the contents of both the CRMP delivery plan update and the HMICFRS inspection report and action plan.