Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in Rainbow Park that has been having a significant impact on the community. The team will be looking at offences around the use and possession of drugs.

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 the ASB Team from Wokingham Borough Council. Concerns were shared and heard, with plans set in motion to make improvements where needed to better disrupt and deter ASB in the area.

The Neighbourhood team have performed patrols and leaflet drops around Rainbow park in relation to anti-social behaviour. We have had responses to our leaflet drops to help us target our patrols.

We have held a community meeting at the Winnersh Community Centre with members of the ASB team from Wokingham Borough Council and Sanctuary Housing Association.

The Neighbourhood and Problem Solving Teams have implemented a long-term problem-solving plan and are undertaking work to protect vulnerable people by using tools such as closure orders and conducting regular patrols around identified areas. We are engaging with the local community and working with our partner agency the ASB Team at Wokingham Borough Council on solving these issues.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) that has a significant community impact. In particular, the team are looking at offences of theft from shops.

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 the ASB Team from Wokingham Borough Council. Concerns were shared and heard, with plans set in motion to make improvements where needed to better disrupt and deter ASB in the area.

PC Lacey spent time with businesses in Winnersh Triangle and in Thames Valley Business Park to discuss ways and means of keeping their premises and assets safe from harm. This is just a small part of what PC Lacey led the team with during Safer Business Action Week.

The Neighbourhood team have been providing a higher presence around identified targeted local shops, to deter shoplifting both during the day and evenings.

We have conducted targeted patrols around shops within the Winnersh area where we have been made aware of ongoing shoplifting issues. We are working with local shops to disrupt shoplifters, and to identify and deal with repeat offenders.

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

This remains an ongoing concern. We are working to identify areas affected by this issue and will target our patrols to discourage and, where possible, deal with riders. We will be focusing on enforcing the laws around e-scooters.

The Neighbourhood team will 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.