Like me, I’m sure you have been shocked and appalled by the violent and disorderly forms of unlawful protests across the country over the last week. I know that what we have seen on the news will have undoubtedly caused much concern and worry among residents and businesses across East Herts.
I would like to assure you that council officers are working closely with police colleagues behind the scenes to keep abreast of developments and work hard to protect everyone living or working in our district.
Despite the shocking scenes on the news and the sheer amount of messages on social media, many of which are clearly aimed at spreading misinformation and fear, at present there is no evidence to suggest an increased threat in East Herts or across Hertfordshire. Of course, the council, the police or other partners are not complacent and have actions in place to manage this challenging situation.
Across Hertfordshire, police officers are working hard to reassure the public, including speaking with leaders from the Muslim community and visiting local mosques and other religious buildings to provide advice and listen to concerns.
Although the national picture is fast moving, local police are working with intelligence colleagues nationally, regionally and locally to identify any planning of protests or gatherings. To again stress, we and the police currently have no corroborated reports of protests or gatherings in our area.
Please help us to maintain feelings of safety in all our communities by:
• letting us know about any leafletting, graffiti or stickering that may indicate affiliation to the Far Right and send any information to us at community.safety@eastherts.gov.uk – we monitor this account very closely
• reporting any disinformation or criminal behaviour to the police on 101 or by calling 999 if there is a crime in progress
• reporting hate crime to the police, on the Herts Against Hate website How to report a hate crime (hertsagainsthate.org) or to East Herts Council – see more information about doing this here. Please remember, you can make a report anonymously
• calling out hate, racism and discrimination in all its forms and reassuring friends, family and neighbours that all the council’s councillors, officers and our partners in the police are committed to making East Herts as safe and inclusive an area as we know the vast majority of people want it to be.
If you or anyone you know is affected by anything arising from the unrest or social media messages and would like to talk to someone about advice and support, please contact Healthy Hub East Herts. Find out more here or call Ric Maraia at East Herts Council on 07936 953178. We can provide practical advice and support or put you in contact with specialist help.
I am convinced that by all working together, we can show everyone living, working or visiting here that East Herts is the wonderfully welcoming place we all know it to be.
