Parking & Road Safety
We continue to monitor complaints around school parking and are working with community partner agencies to identify traffic issues across the area.

SSC (Sergeant Special Constable) Clements, PCSOs Elson, Ispas and Leightley conducted speed watch sessions around Earley and Lower Earley as per resident's requests. A number of drivers were pulled over for unnecessary speed. On this occasion, our intention was to educate, not enforce or fine.

PCSOs Elson and Emmett have been conducting parking checks around the Earley area. They recently patrolled in Faygate Way in response to reports of parking issues. They will continue patrolling different areas as and when they can during their shifts.
Our Earley Police Community Support Officers have been dealing with parking issues on Newquay Drive.

The Neighbourhood Teams will continue to visit local schools together with the Council’s Civil Parking Enforcement Team to monitor the parking and issue tickets when required.

Community Speedwatch is a national initiative where proactive members of local communities join with the support and supervision of their local police to record details of speeding vehicles using approved detection devices. To join a local Community Speedwatch group and be involved in tackling speed related issues, please visit:
https://www.communityspeedwatch.org

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) that has a significant community impact. The Neighbourhood Policing team are working with partner agencies to identify and monitor hotspots.

Wokingham North Neighbourhood Policing Teams took part in national Anti-social Behaviour Awareness Week from 18th to 24th November. During the week, officers performed various walk arounds at reported ASB hotspots alongside Wokingham Borough Council's ASB team. Concerns were shared and heard, with plans set in motion to make improvements where needed to better disrupt and deter ASB in the area.

In October, Wokingham North Neighbourhood Policing Teams took part in the national Safer Business Action Week. During the week we attended local businesses in Earley with the local anti-social behaviour officer from the council to speak with them and find out from them what issues they are facing and how we can work together. Officers alongside the Chair of the Wokingham Shopwatch scheme visited shops giving advice around reporting and dealing with shoplifting, provided a presence to deter shoplifting and gathered intelligence. We signed multiple stores up to the DISC system which allows shops to share information with each other and to report crime directly to Thames Valley Police.

We continue to work with local businesses to help ‘target harden’ their premises and support the Wokingham Shop Watch scheme which allows businesses to share information regarding incidents and offenders with each other and report them to the Police.

On Friday 9th of August, PCSOs Ispas and Elson hosted a Have Your Say event at Maiden Place along with representatives from the Wokingham Borough Anti-Social Behaviour Team. The event encouraged members of the community to meet with their local police and council officers to discuss any local issues or concerns they may have in their community.
Officers from the Earley Neighbourhood Policing Team will continue to conduct foot patrols around Maiden Place fields in order to help deter any ASB (Anti Social Behaviour) from taking place, they have also been dealing with reports of ASB at Earley Train Station.

The Neighbourhood and Problem Solving Teams have implemented a long-term problem-solving plan around identified ASB hotspot areas such as Maiden Place and Chalfont Park. We are working in conjunction with our partner agency the ASB Team at Wokingham Borough Council, attending Community Corner meetings and using tools such as conducting visible patrols in affected areas to protect vulnerable people. We are also using targeted offender management for identified individuals.

Concerns around the use of e-scooters and e-bikes

It is not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters. This means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces, such as parks, street pavements, and shopping centres.

If you use a privately-owned e-scooter in public, you risk the vehicle being seized under S.165 Road Traffic Act 1988 for having no insurance.

If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter, the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.

Please be advised that If you breech the rules when using an e-scooter you could face a fixed penalty notice.The fixed penalty notice could include:
a £300 fine and six penalty points on your licence for having no insurance
a £100 fine and three to six penalty points for riding without the correct licence

You could also be committing an offence if you are caught:
- riding on a pavement: fixed penalty notice and possible £50 fine
- using a mobile phone or other handheld mobile device while riding: £200 and six penalty points
- riding through red lights: fixed penalty notice, £100 fine and possible penalty points
- drink driving: the same as if you were driving a car, you could face court imposed fines, a driving ban and possible imprisonment

On Friday the 9th of August, PCSOs Ispas and Elson were supported by a Police Constable who seized an e-scooter. Another 2 e-scooter riders received warning notices and if they are seen again, their scooters will be seized.

Our Police Community Support Officers will continue to patrol around parks and areas where anti-social e-scooter and e-bike use has been reported. They will continue to patrol at different times throughout their shifts as and when possible.

The Neighbourhood team will continue to seize and issue section 59 warning notices to individuals using e-bikes in a manner which is causing or likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. If these individuals are observed again within a 12 month period, their bikes can be seized.

We have made the public aware of the rules around e-scooters through social media campaigns, ensuring people are aware that: privately owned e-scooters can only be used on private land, they are illegal on any public highway, pavement or in a public space, and you cannot get insurance to ride them on the road.