PFCC attends Brentwood High Street Conference
Crime and safety in Brentwood was high on the agenda at the Town’s first High Street’s Conference attended by Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, on the 11th of January 2022.
Over a 100 residents and business owners had the opportunity to hear from panel members and ask questions about key priorities and challenges facing the high street, including tackling anti-social behaviour, reducing serious violence and how police and partners are working together to address knife crime. 
Roger Hirst spoke about the recently launched Police and Crime Plan 2021 – 2024 which sets out the policing priorities and aims for keeping Essex safe. He also spoke about the importance of partnership working to help deliver the priorities, including working with the Brentwood Community Safety Partnership to identify people most at risk and deliver effective interventions to keep them safe, as well as doing more work around crime prevention.
Roger acknowledged that while huge strides in reducing some crimes had been made in recent years, including decreases in ASB in Brentwood, as well as decreases in theft and burglary and robbery offences, more work needed to be done around reducing drug driven violence, tackling gangs and protecting those being preyed on by County Lines.
To help support this important work, the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit of which Roger is Chair, along with the PFCC Community Fund, recently awarded £20,000 to Brentwood based Doddinghurst Road Church, who will use the funds to support a detached youth worker, as well as developing new projects that promote greater communication and positive engagement between the police, youth groups and schools.
To find out more about the Community Fund and the Police and Crime Plan Priorities visit: https://www.essex.pfcc.police.uk/
