Car crime, COVID breaches and drug dealing will be the focus of policing in St Albans over the next few months.

Officers have identified major issues within the district which require pro-active policing and are earmarking resources to deal with them.

A spate of incidents of criminal damage to motor vehicles has been seen in the Aboyne area, and offices will be undertaking high-visibility patrols in a bid to tackle the problem.

Drug-dealing hotspots have also been identified within each ward, and drugs warrants will be carried out by neighbourhood officers.

With St Albans reporting a recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, police will be patrolling green spaces and parks to make sure people are adhering to social distancing laws.

St Albans Chief Inspector Lynda Coates said: “I hope that local residents feel reassured by our latest priorities.

“We know that it’s a really tough time for everyone and I hope that our increased patrols in response to the pandemic provide you with peace of mind.

“Drug dealing and criminal damage to motor vehicles have been identified as key issues to tackle too and these offences simply will not be tolerated.

She said that it is important that people continue to let police know about the issues worrying them.

She added: “I’d like to take this opportunity to remind residents that we don’t have access to private Facebook groups. I understand that there is often speculation within these social media groups about local issues but remember; report the crimes to us so that we can investigate.

“Finally, I’d like to urge local residents to get in touch with information about drug dealing across St Albans. We have a committed Community Safety Team who work with the council to seek closure orders on properties where drug dealing is taking place.

“In order to secure these closure orders it’s important that we have as much intelligence as possible and you can help with this.

“We need residents to be our eyes and ears and report information so that we can take action. Working together means that we can help make St Albans a safer place for all.”