Peartree drug use, Woodhall shops ASB and Howlands are police priorities for four months. Our police.uk count: summer ASB up in two of three areas.
Drug use in Peartree and anti-social behaviour around the Woodhall shops are now on the police’s priority list for Welwyn Garden City. They are among six local priorities that the Welwyn Hatfield Neighbourhood Policing Team will focus on for the next four months.
Hertfordshire Constabulary published the list on 24 September. The force says the team sets priorities every four months, using crime data and a survey of residents.
The six priorities, area by area
The borough is split into three neighbourhood policing areas. Each has two priorities.
| Area | Wards it covers | Priorities until early 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| North | Welwyn West, Welwyn East, Haldens, Sherrards, Handside, Peartree and Panshanger | Drug use in and around Peartree; anti-social behaviour (ASB) in and around Woodhall shops |
| West | Hatfield Villages, Hatfield Central, Hatfield South West and the University of Hertfordshire | ASB and drugs in and around Lemsford Road; theft from motor vehicles |
| South | Hollybush, Cuffley, Howlands, Northaw, Hatfield East and Hatfield South | ASB and e-scooters in Travellers Lane; ASB and drugs in Howlands |
The two Hatfield priorities in the West area are unchanged from the last round. Inspector Amy Sheldon, who leads the team, said that was deliberate: “Our priorities for Welwyn Hatfield West have remained the same as we want to ensure the issues are fully dealt with.”
Residents should expect more patrols, engagement events and “targeted enforcement” in these places, the force says. Officers will still answer everyday calls across the borough.
What happened to the last set
The force also reported on the four-month round that has just ended. In summary:
- Welwyn Garden City town centre, especially Stonehills. Officers and partners ran Operation Brillo against ASB. Managing agents secured several abandoned and insecure premises. Some people involved in persistent ASB were given Acceptable Behaviour Agreements and Community Protection Warnings. The operation now becomes routine work.
- Peartree Lane and nearby, vehicle nuisance. Officers patrolled Peartree and Panshanger and spoke to drivers. One driver was given a Section 59 warning for anti-social driving.
- Lemsford Road, Hatfield. Patrols continued “where resourcing demands have allowed”. The force says it wants partners involved for a long-term fix.
- Theft from cars in Hatfield. Three people have been charged with seven separate offences, the force says.
- Overfield Close and Fieldside Close, Hatfield. Patrols focused on school pick-up time. Reports have fallen, the force says.
- Welham Green, off-road bikes and vehicle ASB. Officers worked with landowners and patrolled the area.
What the police.uk figures show
We counted the street-level crime reports police.uk publishes for each of the three areas. We compared this summer, June to August 2026, with the same three months of 2025. August 2026 is the latest month available.
| Area | ASB, summer 2025 | ASB, summer 2026 | Drug offences, 2025 | Drug offences, 2026 | All crime and ASB, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North (Welwyn Garden City) | 277 | 353 | 13 | 24 | 1,338 |
| West (central Hatfield) | 306 | 271 | 35 | 76 | 1,241 |
| South (Hatfield east and south, Cuffley) | 180 | 211 | 16 | 30 | 758 |
Three things stand out:
- ASB rose 27% in the North area, which is Welwyn Garden City, from 277 reports to 353. It also rose in the South area, by 17%. It fell by 11% in the West.
- Drug offences more than doubled in the West area, from 35 to 76. A drug offence is usually recorded when officers find drugs, so this figure tends to rise when police look harder. It does not by itself show more drug use.
- Vehicle crime in the West area was level, at 54 reports in both summers. Police.uk groups theft from cars with theft of cars, so this is the closest public figure to the Hatfield car-break-in priority.
Police.uk maps each report to a nearby street or landmark, not an exact address. The force’s priorities were set using its own data as well as the survey, so the counts are context rather than the reason for each choice.
What it means for you
- If you live near the Woodhall shops, Peartree, Lemsford Road, Travellers Lane or Howlands, you should see more officers and PCSOs over the autumn and winter.
- The force asks residents to sign up to Herts Connected and choose “police” to get local updates, and to follow Welwyn Hatfield Police on Facebook. It promises progress reports during the four months.
- Report ASB and drug dealing to Hertfordshire Constabulary online or on 101. Call 999 if a crime is happening now.
- The next set of priorities will be set in about four months, and the survey that feeds it is the place to raise a street that is not on this list.
For more on what is changing on Welwyn Garden City’s streets, see our roadworks and travel page and our report on the county council’s 20mph survey, which closes on 11 October.
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