Knife crime and drug use in Wallingford, Benson and Berinsfield

High Visibility patrols remain a priority in Wallingford and the surrounding villages, and the team continues to work with schools, parents and other agencies to divert and educate youths on Knife Crime and Drugs.
We are aware of an increase in drug related activities in Wallingford and Benson, and will be focusing patrols on these areas over the coming month. We will continue to use all available tactics (overt and covert) to identify these individuals and deal with them robustly.
We are also working with bars and pubs in the area through Pubwatch and Licensing meetings to identify drug-related activities and prevent the use of these venues. We ask you to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to us, as much of the information comes from you – the public

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Wallingford, Benson and Berinsfield

Wallingford remains a tasking hotspot for ASB, including at Waitrose, Bullcroft and Kinecroft, the riverside, and the library. Through a combination of high visibility patrols, plain clothes operations and partnership working, we continue to address these issues.
The NH team have been increasing activities in the areas and have completed 28 targeted patrols and 16 separate engagements in the Wallingford, Cholsey and Berinsfield cluster over the last 21 days - including Have Your Say meetings, school visits and foot patrols. If you would like to host us for future HYS meetings, then please get in touch.
The NH team have worked with the Community Safety Partnership who have conducted an Environmental Visual Audit, and we continue to work closely with all partner agencies to reduce the frequency and impact of ASB within the localities.
Pubwatch has been successful with those venues who have engaged and offers support for all licensed premises in the town, with regular advice and assistance from the NH team and wider police community.

Reduce retail crime in Cholsey/Wallingford

The team have been working closely with retailers to combat retail crime in the towns and villages. The SABA (Safer Business Action Scheme) has been up and running in Wallingford. We are still trying to increase the sign-up to the DISC app for retailers, which allows retailers to quickly and effectively share images of offenders and report incidents directly to us, which in turn enables a quicker response.

Following recent reports of theft and robbery at Waitrose, Wallingford, and a subsequent burglary nearby, NH officers worked with CCTV operators and identified the suspects, bringing about the prompt arrest of two suspects. They have since been charged with the burglary and released on conditional bail for the robbery and theft offences. We will continue to support local businesses in tackling retail crime and deal with offenders robustly. Op Purchase continues to be a focus for the team, which involves high visibility patrols and target-hardening actions.
The team are targeting several offenders who have been plaguing retail premises in Wallingford and Cholsey, and will be employing a variety of tactics to locate and deal with them appropriately. We will continue to work with retailers and business owners, to improve communication and deal with offences robustly as we understand the national focus on this offence type, and personal impact that this has on business owners

Heritage Crime in Wallingford

To improve crime prevention and evidence-gathering opportunities in Wallingford, following reports of graffiti and damage to heritage structures, we installed cameras in problem areas to deter and detect offenders committing these crime types.
Recognising the importance of the history and heritage of Wallingford and the surrounding areas, we will continue to work with the local councils on these types of offences, and provide support wherever possible.
The NH team have bene invited to the Heritage Crime Conference in October, and we look forward to seeing you there