Police slap closure order on Hemel Hempstead home linked to drug use and anti-social behaviour

The three-month closure order was granted at St Albans Magistrates’ Court yesterday
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Police have slapped a partial closures order on a Hemel Hempstead home linked to suspected drug use and anti-social behaviour.

The order limits the number of people who are allowed to enter the property for the next three months.

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Dacorum Police’s Community Safety Unit (CSU) took action following numerous complaints from residents about anti-social activity at the property in Jennings Way.

The three-month closure order was granted at St Albans Magistrates’ Court yesterdayThe three-month closure order was granted at St Albans Magistrates’ Court yesterday
The three-month closure order was granted at St Albans Magistrates’ Court yesterday

The three-month closure order was granted at St Albans Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Tuesday, February 8).

The CSU team worked closely with officers from the borough’s Safer Neighbourhood Team and Notting Hill Genesis Housing Association – which owns the property in the Bennetts End area – to gather evidence of the tenants’ unacceptable behaviour that was having such a detrimental effect on neighbours.

The order – granted under the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 – states that for the next three months, the only people allowed to enter the property are the tenant, three named family members/friends, Notting Hill Genesis, utility companies and the emergency services.

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Anyone who breaches the terms of the order could face arrest and a fine, imprisonment or both.

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Sergeant Mike Saunders, from the Dacorum Community Safety Unit, said: “We hope this result will provide some respite from the ongoing issues suffered by neighbours and improve their quality of life.

“I want to reassure residents that we are continuing to monitor the situation and are working with partners to create a more permanent solution to the issue.

“Our Safer Neighbourhood Team colleagues will continue to regularly patrol the area, but in the interim we have asked neighbours to report any breaches of the order to us as soon as possible so we can take further action if required.

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“Everyone deserves to feel safe and happy in their home and no one should be subjected to continued anti-social behaviour, such as the chronic use of cannabis and other drugs, loud music, people visiting at all hours of the day or night, verbal abuse or intimidation.

"If you engage in this type of activity, then you can expect your home to be the next target for us.

“If you have information about suspected drug activity and anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood, please don’t hesitate to report it to us.

"We will take it seriously and we will do all we can to prevent it from adversely affecting the lives of decent, law-abiding people who live nearby.”

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You can use the force's community voice platform ‘echo’ to let police know what you think they should be prioritising in your area. Your feedback will help towards shaping local policing priorities, initiatives and campaigns. Visit bit.ly/police-dacorum to have your say.