Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, took to the beat and joined an Operation Hotspot patrol in Borehamwood.
The patrol is part of a larger £1m county-wide initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour and serious violence.
Supported by government funds, the operation includes additional foot patrols, centring on places across the county's 10 districts known for higher crime rates.
On this patrol, Mr Ash-Edwards, PC Ray Morris, and PCSO Dan Lewis checked specific areas with a history of high crime and anti-social behaviour.
The team's walk took them from the Elstree Way Police Station to Borehamwood Shopping Park and the Elstree & Borehamwood train station.
Mr Ash-Edwards said: "It was great to join an Operation Hotspot patrol and see for myself how this additional funding is being used in Hertfordshire.
"Importantly, this operation is about additional high visibility foot patrols and I know that is what the public want to see."
Mr Ash-Edwards also applauded officers' rapport with retailers, adding: "I also witnessed the officers collecting vital intelligence on a suspect believed to have been involved in a crime earlier in the day.
"Operation Hotspot is designed to provide a visible deterrent and help tackle anti-social behaviour, crime and violence in specific locations where it is higher than elsewhere in the county."
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