Anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Market Place, Faringdon

The team continues to target ASB robustly and patrols hotspot locations identified through reports and intelligence submissions to the team. Repeat suspects are visited and dealt with at the earliest of opportunities. The team has regular meetings within the community and also with partner agencies and organisations. This allows the team to offer crime prevention and target hardening advice, discuss environmental surveys that have been conducted by various agencies and work collaboratively to deter ASB across our area. We have visited schools to educate youths of the effects of ASB on a community and we utilise the use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, Community Protection Warnings and Notices and Criminal Behaviour Orders. As the evenings get lighter and warmer, the team will conduct further high visibility foot patrols to show a presence and reassure the community.
In Faringdon town centre, small groups of young people have been engaging in antisocial behaviour, leading to criminal damage and disruptions to retail premises. An abandoned building in the town centre has also been used for drug activities. At PYE Park Faringdon, teenagers have been smoking cannabis in the children's swing park. Town Park has also seen young teenagers drinking spirits and leaving vodka bottles and litter behind.
The team continues to target ASB robustly and patrols locations identified through reports and intelligence submissions to the team. The team has regular meetings within the community and also with partner agencies and organisations. This allows the team to offer crime prevention and target hardening advice, discuss environmental surveys that have been conducted by various agencies and work collaboratively to deter ASB across our area. Stop searches have already recovered cannabis from some of these individuals.
In July there have been an increased presence from the neighbourhood team who have dealt with issues of ASB, individuals on the roof of buildings within the market place. A number of stop searches have taken place resulting in items being found for use in criminal damage, drugs and alcohol.

Retail crime in Henry Blake Way retail park

The team is aware of the national attention on shoplifting that affects Faringdon as a thriving Market town and other villages in our area with several large national companies operating among many small local businesses. The team conducts regular, high visibility patrols of the most frequent locations of thefts from shops in our area. The increased presence serves as a deterrent to offenders and as reassurance to staff and the public that this issue is taken seriously by the team. Multiple offenders have been identified and dealt with robustly resulting in several arrests and court disposals obtained and where eligible, out of court disposals utilised such as community resolutions and conditional cautions. The team offer crime prevention and target hardening advice to stores, some of which are utilising AI technology to tackle retail crime. We also work collaboratively to assist a Central TVP unit that works solely on targeting repeat offenders of theft from shops, where we have identified several offenders in their investigations, working to target their offending and bringing them to justice.
Retail crime is affecting the town centre of Faringdon, Park Road, and Henry Blake Way retail park, with shoplifters targeting these areas. Regular visits are made to the stores to engage with staff and review CCTV footage. Stores are encouraged to report thefts and use the DISC app to track shoplifters.
We will continue to work with the investigation unit and obtaining cctv for evidence to prosecute offenders and deter these thieves.
Throughout July, the team have been actively working with the stores to identify repeat offenders and assist with securing evidence. The increase visibility of police and increased knowledge in procedures and information sharing has helped to prevent a number of instances of shoplifting within this time.

Rural Crime around Uffington and surrounding villages

Following a spate of theft from vehicles and garages around the rural areas such as Uffington, Fawler, Watchfied it remains a priority for the team. Previously vehicle crime around beauty spots had increased due to the warmer weather and people leaving vehicles and valuables unattended. With the warmer weather approaching this remains a priority for the team and we will be out and completing both hi visibility patrols, plain car patrols and working with partner agencies to spread awareness of leaving valuables within sight in vehicles and insecure premises.
Suspects will be identified through thorough investigation and victims will be kept updated throughout the process. The neighbourhood team work hard to offer crime prevention advice and will be holding a number of "Have Your Say" events to give guidance to members of the community and hear your feedback.
Throughout July the neighbourhood team have been working alongside the Rural Crime Team and local stakeholders to increase awareness especially during a time of harvest. Increased social media posts have allowed for a wider audience to be reached to raise awareness of the effect that rural crime has on communities.