Didcot

Knife crime and Drug Use in Didcot

The Neighbourhood Team has remained focused on addressing ongoing issues of knife carrying and drug-related activity in the area. Whilst there were no reported knife-enabled offences or incidents this month, we recognise the significant harm that drugs and weapons can cause within our communities, particularly where young or vulnerable people are exploited. Officers continue to use stop and search powers lawfully and appropriately, based on reasonable grounds, to detect and disrupt those who choose to carry weapons or become involved in drug-related activity.
Over the last month, we have used a range of proactive policing tactics, including deploying plain-clothes officers into local hotspots identified through community feedback, intelligence submissions and incident data. This work helps us better understand local concerns, gather intelligence and target those responsible for causing harm in our communities. As a result of this activity, 40% of completed stop searches last month resulted in a positive outcome, including the recovery of controlled drugs and other prohibited items. Valuable information has been gathered which will be developed to support warrants over the festival period!
Our approach to stop and search remains robust. When legal grounds exist, we will continue to use these powers to remove drugs and weapons from the streets, disrupt offending and protect the wider community.
Alongside enforcement activity, we continue to work closely with local secondary schools, youth services and partner agencies to raise awareness of child criminal exploitation, drug misuse, knife crime and the risks associated with County Lines activity. Education and early intervention remain key to preventing young people from becoming involved in crime, and we remain committed to supporting schools with advice, guidance and safeguarding opportunities.
The team have also been working more closely with Turning Point, to ensure that those coming into contact with police who are affected by substance misuse are signposted into appropriate support services, reducing the likelihood of repeat offending and helping to break the cycle of vulnerability, exploitation and criminality.
We cannot tackle this issue alone. If you have information relating to drug use or supply, cuckooing, exploitation, County Lines activity or knife-enabled crime, please report it via 101, our online reporting tools, or anonymously through Crimestoppers. What may seem like a small piece of information to you could be the missing piece of the puzzle that helps us safeguard someone or bring an offender to justice.

You can stay informed about our work by signing up to free Thames Valley Alerts at https://thamesvalleyalert.co.uk/

Reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) and youth-related disorder in Didcot

Tackling ASB is a shared responsibility and, by working together, we give ourselves the best opportunity to identify those responsible, reduce repeat offending and make our communities safer for everyone. We are aware that concerns, images and footage are often shared on social media groups and community pages; however, unless this information is also reported to police, we may not be aware of it or able to use it as evidence. We recognise the significant impact that ASB can have on individuals and communities, and successful enforcement often relies on the information, evidence and support provided by those affected.
During October, the Didcot area saw a 27% increase in reported anti-social behaviour compared with the previous month. Despite this, the team achieved 24% more positive resolutions than in September, reflecting both our proactive approach and the continued support of local communities. These results demonstrate what can be achieved when residents, partner agencies and police work together to address issues, identify those responsible and prevent further offending. Thank you for your continued support, and we encourage anyone with information or concerns to continue reporting them to us.
Halloween has once again been a challenging period for emergency services, and the team anticipate that both Bonfire Night and Remembrance Sunday will have a significant impact on our resourcing and availability as we work to support our communities during these events. We would ask all parents, carers and young people to act responsibly, particularly where fireworks are concerned. Parents and carers should ensure they know where their children are, who they are with, and educate them about the dangers associated with fireworks and misuse of pyrotechnics.
When used safely and responsibly, fireworks can be enjoyed by everyone, and we would encourage residents to attend organised displays where appropriate safety measures are in place. We also ask people to be considerate of neighbours, pets, livestock and those who may be adversely affected by loud noises.
The team will take robust action against anyone found committing offences involving fireworks. It is illegal for a person under the age of 18 to possess fireworks in a public place, and it is also an offence to throw, set off or misuse fireworks in a manner likely to cause alarm, distress, nuisance or danger to others. Where offences are identified, officers will consider the use of fixed penalty notices, community resolutions or prosecution, depending on the circumstances. Our priority is to ensure everyone can enjoy these occasions safely, while protecting our communities from anti-social and dangerous behaviour

The team continues to patrol ASB hotspot locations, using crime and incident data to target those areas experiencing the highest levels of demand and the greatest risk of harm. Whilst we recognise that residents want to see officers in their neighbourhoods, it is important to acknowledge that we cannot be everywhere at once. Our neighbourhood team currently consists of one Sergeant, four Police Constables and seven PCSOs, responsible for policing a large and growing area that includes Didcot, Wallingford and the surrounding villages. This challenge is amplified by significant population growth and housing development across the area. Didcot continues to expand through major developments such as Great Western Park and Valley Park, with more than 15,000 new homes planned across the wider Garden Town programme and thousands already occupied. Valley Park alone will ultimately provide over 4,200 homes. Wallingford has also grown steadily, with a population of around 8,500 residents and further development planned.
Whilst national recruitment has increased overall police numbers, this does not necessarily translate directly into additional neighbourhood officers locally. As a result, we must use intelligence, community feedback and analytical data to prioritise our resources where they can have the greatest impact, focusing on the locations, offenders and issues causing the most harm. This means there will be occasions when our presence is not immediately visible in every community but be assured that patrol activity is being directed where we believe it is needed most.
Residents can help us by reporting incidents, sharing information and attending our Have Your Say meetings and community engagement events, which are advertised on this website, under the Meetings & Events section. These events provide an opportunity to speak directly with members of the neighbourhood team, raise concerns, discuss local priorities and tell us about the issues affecting your community.
If something matters to you, please tell us about it. Don't assume that someone else has already reported it or that we are already aware. Community feedback directly influences our priorities, where we patrol, and how we tackle local issues. We need to hear about the things we aren’t doing so well, and what is working for you.

Our school newsletter is shared regularly with teachers and parents, highlighting current concerns and offering advice to help keep young people safe. If you have something that you are concerned about, there is advice for parents available from the team, schools, and many online resources:
Online Safety - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-online/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-parents-and-carers-to-keep-children-safe-online
https://www.parentkind.org.uk/online-safety-toolkit

Communication with teens - https://parents.actionforchildren.org.uk/feelings-behaviour/talking-about-feelings/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pt-always-on&utm_term=grant-account&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23629639584&gclid=CjwKCAjwifjVBhBKEiwAYx4K9OxFQMfqjrqGeIjKxpnZF4kqA9lR8YVlUT5X6wbha53KJ9Nv3Hj77xoCr1YQAvD_BwE

You can sign up for free Thames Valley Alerts at:
https://thamesvalleyalert.co.uk/

Join Neighbourhood Watch, or set up a new scheme:
https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/

Reduce the frequency and impact of retail crime in Didcot and surrounding areas

The team continues to work closely with the specialist Retail Crime Team and local retailers to tackle shoplifting and business crime across the town. We are encouraging businesses to make full use of both the DISC and AUROR platforms, which enable retailers to quickly share information, circulate images of offenders, identify linked offences and report incidents more effectively. We would encourage local businesses to engage with these initiatives and take advantage of the intelligence-sharing opportunities they provide in preventing and detecting retail crime.
Operation Purchase remains a key focus, combining high-visibility patrols in hotspot locations with practical crime prevention and target-hardening measures designed to deter offending. Alongside this, officers are working with retailers to improve evidence-gathering opportunities, identify emerging trends and develop effective prevention strategies. This collaborative approach helps us identify prolific offenders, build stronger cases and reduce repeat offending.
Safer Business Action Week begins on the 9th November, and the team will be out visiting retailers in the area to discuss challenges, share good working practices and current training, and improve relationships with small and larger businesses alike.
The Didcot team has seen an increase in reports of theft, robbery and abuse directed towards retail workers. Such behaviour has a significant impact on victims, staff wellbeing and local businesses, and will not be tolerated. We remain committed to identifying those responsible and pursuing robust outcomes through the criminal justice system, including Criminal Behaviour Orders, Community Orders and custodial sentences where appropriate. We will continue to work closely with retailers, security staff and partner agencies to prevent offending, support victims and ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.
Oliver Fletcher, Thames Valley Business Crime Reduction Partnership Manager: “Disc can support retailers through any obstacles, although this is a very user-friendly app, which allows the reporting of shoplifting or ASB to be completed very quickly and for the partnership of businesses, police, and local authorities to happen in real time to address the fact that many of these offenders are part of criminal groups and prolific in certain areas. Some businesses still prefer to ring 101, but this system is tailored to retail and similar crimes, making it much more targeted and efficient.”
To sign up contact [email protected]