Wokingham Town

Shoplifting, including the Organised Crime Groups from out of area and prolific offenders. This was raised by the community in recent surveys.

The NH team still deal with shoplifting robustly. We have charged and remanded a prolific offender for 24 offences which occurred in a 10 day spell. We also charged and remanded another offender for 10 offences across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire as well as charged and remanded another offender for 7 shopliftings who had been targeting the same store. We have also issued Out of Court Disposals to 3 further minor shoplifters as well as worked with our businesses to target harden and identify new offenders in the area. There has been work ongoing around making reporting shopliftings and providing evidence to Police easier for the retailers, which is resulting in more positive outcomes and convictions at court.

There are continued issues of Anti-social Behaviour (ASB), mainly youths loitering in the Carnival pool car park and groups entering various businesses in Town and being disruptive/abusive over a TikTok craze. There is also reported ASB through drug taking and Public order at Elms Field and Carnival Pool

Officers have been conducting hotspot patrols. There has been ongoing work in partnership with local schools and the schools officer to educate youths around the impacts of ASB on the community. We have also worked with local businesses to assist deterring and reporting ongoing ASB.

Drug use & dealing across the Wokingham Town area, specifically Carnival Pool Car Park, Elms Field, Crown House and the Norreys Estate

We have continued targeting drug users and drug dealers within the Town Centre and dealing at various levels, from local resolutions to arrest and charge to court. We have also provided education and referrals to rehab and counselling which we hope prevents any other criminality.