The Police and Crime Commissioner, David Lloyd, took the opportunity of National Volunteers’ Week (June 1-7) to thank the contribution that volunteers make keeping Hertfordshire the safe county that it is today.

Mr Lloyd said: “National Volunteers’ Week is a great opportunity to celebrate our volunteers and I would like to thank them for their invaluable contribution and continuous support.

Crime reduction and community safety is a shared responsibility for us all. A big part of my role is to provide people with the opportunity to do their bit both by working with the police and developing a wider volunteering agenda.

Currently we have around 400 volunteers that operate across schemes that are directly co-ordinated by my office, such as; Drivesafe, Independent Custody Visiting, the Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel and the Independent Dog Welfare Scheme.”

In addition Hertfordshire Constabulary  has more than 200 Special Constables and 234 civilian volunteers as well as people volunteering for organisations, such as Neighbourhood Watch, who work alongside police to help keep our communities safe.

Commissioner Lloyd has also recently reiterated his intention to work with local businesses to encourage them to sign up to Employer Supported Policing (ESP), which sees employers support their staff to train and patrol as Special Constables.

He said:“In my Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan: Everybody’s Business, I outline how I would like more businesses to also get involved and to play their part in helping to keep crime low in the county.

Their highly trained employees can bring vital skills to the policing and community safety arena and I would urge more businesses to play their part in supporting employees through Employer Supported Policing.”

For more information about volunteering opportunities within the OPCC and Hertfordshire Constabulary, visit www.hertscommissioner.org or www.herts.police.uk/volunteers