Police met with the Jain community in Northaw at a flag raising ceremony.

Officers from the Welwyn Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood Team visited the Oshwal Centre in Hertfordshire on Sunday, September 24 as the Jain community celebrated a special anniversary.

The police were invited to attend by the Honourable President after a previous visit from officers earlier in the month.

The centre is home to the Jain Derasar temple and the event marked its 18th anniversary.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: The Jain temple - or 'Derasar' - at the Oshwal Centre in Northaw.The Jain temple - or 'Derasar' - at the Oshwal Centre in Northaw. (Image: Hertfordshire Constabulary)

PCSO Anne Devine, PC Darren Turner, and PC Andy Dockerill joined with followers of the Jainism faith to witness the annual Dhaja Din (flag raising) ceremony.

An estimated 3,000 people attended and watched the new flag, which had been blessed, as it was raised to the top of the temple.

Before the ceremony, the three officers spoke to many of the attendees, both adults and children, offering crime prevention advice and answering numerous questions.

 

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They were also treated to a guided tour of the site in Coopers Lane Road, near Potters Bar, and invited to witness the blessing of the new flag prior to it being raised on the Derasar.

PCSO Anne Devine has delighted to meet members of the Jain community and said: “It was a pleasure and a privilege to attend this event.

"There were around 3,000 people in attendance, and not only did we speak to so many people offering crime prevention advice and building trust with the children, but we were also honoured to be shown around and be a part of the community spirit that surrounded this event.

The congregation were so incredibly grateful and engaging with us and it was a pleasure to be a part of the event.”

The Safer Neighbourhood Team are your traditional ‘bobbies on the beat’ tasked with fixing short- and long-term neighbourhood issues such as anti-social behaviour.

A large part of their work involves meeting with local community groups.

If you would like to invite officers from the team to your event, make an enquiry at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in the Force Communications Room via the online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101.