Reducing Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) around shops in the Woodley precinct.

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.
PCSO Leightley and Ispas hosted a Have Your Say event in Woodley to hear directly from members of the community about their ASB concerns and experiences.

Wokingham North Neighbourhood Policing Teams took part in the national Safer Business Action Week in October. During the week we attended local businesses 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.

We are undertaking daily patrols within the area to tackle ASB and shopliftings.

Engagement with targeted shops is ongoing and we are working with local retailers to identify offenders and deal with them appropriately.

The team are looking into implementing a local Shopwatch scheme which allows businesses in and around the town centre to communicate about thefts and ASB and share information as appropriate to support businesses and keep residents safe.

We are working with our partner agency Woodley Town Council on a potential youth initiative. More information will follow as this initiative progresses.

We are also discussing the plausibility of implementing CCTV in the precinct with partner agencies.

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're 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 actively patrolling the high footfall places (precinct and parks) to discourage and where possible deal with riders.

We have organised a number of operations targeting these as well as ongoing antisocial behaviour in general.

We will be focusing on enforcing the laws around e-scooters and we will be continuing to run more operations in the future.

Section 59 warning notices have been issued 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.

Community concerns around violent crime in the local area

In November, the Neighbourhood Team took part in Operation Sceptre which focussed on reducing knife crime. Officers attended local schools to give presentations on the dangers of carrying knives and the resulting consequences.

The Neighbourhood Team continue to conduct patrols in areas identified as hot spots for crime.

We have been conducting targeted patrols in the area in response to a number of robberies and violent crimes which have been reported to us.

We are working closely with our response colleagues to complete enquiries efficiently to identify offenders and deal with them appropriately.

Visible presence of police in Woodley

In late November, PCs Simpson-Holland and Scullin along with PCSOs Elson and Emmett attended Woodley Precinct area following reports of youths throwing stones at buildings and passers-by. The team will continue to conduct patrols in the area.

PCSOs Leightley and Ispas attended Vauxhall Park after calls from the public regarding anti-social behaviours arising from groups. Their attendance allowed for a positive identification and individuals were quickly dispersed from the area.

PC Bogdanova patrolled around Woodley following reports of parking issues and has issued a number of FPNs (Fixed Penalty Notices) for unnecessary obstructions.
Officers from the Woodley Neighbourhood Policing team have been patrolling around Brecon Road Shops following reports of ASB (Anti Social Behaviour) after school finishing time.

Officers have also been patrolling around Ashenbury Park following reports of ASB and drug dealing. They will continue to patrol the area as and when they can.

We have a team based in Woodley now, meaning we are able to focus our attention on the area and be more visible to the public to provide reassurance and discourage criminal or antisocial behaviour.