Wallingford, Berinsfield and Cholsey

Reduce drug-related offending and knife-enabled crime

The Neighbourhood Team remains focused on addressing concerns around knife-carrying and drug-related activity within the area. Officers continue to use stop and search powers lawfully and proportionately, based on intelligence and reasonable grounds, to identify those involved in carrying weapons, drug use, and drug supply. Combined with targeted patrols and proactive operations, this activity helps us reduce harm and keep our communities safe.

Over the last month, we have used a range of proactive policing tactics, including deploying plain-clothes officers into local hotspots identified through feedback from residents. This work helps us better understand issues, gather intelligence, and target those responsible for causing harm in our communities. As a result of this activity, 100% of stop searches carried out over the last four weeks have led to a positive outcome, including the recovery of drugs or other prohibited items.
Knife-enabled crime in Wallingford remains very low, which is encouraging and there were no reported knife-enabled crimes or incidents in the area this month. However, we are mindful of the well-established link between drug supply, serious violence, and weapon carrying. Across the UK, knives are often used for intimidation, protection, and the enforcement of drug debts, particularly in connection with County Lines activity where young people can be exploited and drawn into criminality.
Although these issues are not widespread locally, we are committed to preventing them from becoming established. We continue to work closely with secondary schools, youth services, and safeguarding partners to raise awareness of child criminal exploitation, drug misuse, and the risks associated with County Lines. Education, early intervention, and safeguarding remain vital in diverting young people away from harm and preventing escalation into more serious offending.

By combining enforcement, prevention, and partnership working, we aim to address concerns before they become entrenched. Where issues are identified, we will continue to act robustly, using all available powers and opportunities to keep Wallingford and the surrounding villages safe places to live, work, and visit.

We are also working closely with local pubs, bars and licensed premises through Pubwatch and licensing meetings to prevent drug use, drug supply and associated offending. Anyone identified as using or supplying drugs in these venues can expect to be reported to police and may be excluded from licensed premises across the town.
Anyone identified as using or supplying drugs in these venues can expect to be reported to police and barred from all the local licensed premises.

The information provided by residents remains one of our most valuable tools. Even information that may seem insignificant can help build intelligence, identify offenders, safeguard vulnerable people and develop a clearer picture of emerging issues in our communities.
We continue to work alongside housing providers and the courts, making use of measures such as full and partial closure orders where significant drug-related activity and anti-social behaviour are identified.

If you have concerns about someone affected by drugs, please contact us or seek confidential advice through Talk to FRANK. Information relating to drug use, drug supply, cuckooing, exploitation, or knife-enabled crime can be reported via 101, our online reporting tools, or anonymously through CrimeStoppers. If a crime is taking place at the time, always call 999.

Reduce the frequency and impact of anti-social behaviour and disorder

Over the course of September, even with the crowds at the BunkFest event, the Wallingford/Benson/Berinsfield areas saw a small 4% increase in reported anti-social behaviour (ASB) compared with the previous month. Whilst we remain committed to tackling ASB through proactive patrols, problem-solving and enforcement activity, one of the most significant barriers to further action is the lack of independent evidence. This is particularly the case where CCTV footage is unavailable or of insufficient quality, or where witnesses are unwilling to come forward, provide statements or support investigations. 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. If we are to improve outcomes and hold offenders to account, we encourage residents to report incidents promptly, retain and share available evidence, and engage with investigations wherever possible.
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.

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

Because ASB has a real impact on residents and businesses, our tolerance for this behaviour remains low. Where appropriate, we work with Youth Justice colleagues to ensure young people receive the right interventions, support and consequences, including diversionary programmes, mentoring and restorative approaches.
Growing trends show that many victims of ASB-related incidents, have a high proportion involving young people aged 11-15. Alongside enforcement activity, we continue to work with parents, schools, housing providers, South Oxfordshire District Council, Community Safety Teams, Youth Justice, Social Care and other partners to address the root causes of offending.
A range of interventions are available, including mediation, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs), tenancy action and, where necessary, formal enforcement measures. Parents and carers also play a vital role in helping to prevent anti-social behaviour by knowing where their children are, who they are with and what they are doing, particularly during evenings and weekends.

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 the area

The team continues to work closely with the dedicated Retail Crime Team and local retailers to tackle shoplifting across the town. We are encouraging all stores to make full use of the current DISC App, and new AUROR app, which enable retailers to quickly and effectively share images of offenders and report incidents directly to us. We encourage all business owners locally to engage with these initiatives and recognise the benefits, so they do not miss out on this valuable tool in detection and prevention of retail crime.

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]

Operation Purchase remains a key focus for the team, involving high visibility patrols in hotspot areas and target-hardening measures to deter offending and support store staff. The hard work by the NH team has shown a further decrease in reported thefts from local businesses over the last month.
These crimes have a significant impact on local businesses and will not be tolerated. We are actively pursuing offenders and, where appropriate, seeking robust outcomes through the courts, including criminal orders and custodial sentences.
We will continue working with retailers and business owners to improve communication, take robust action against offenders, and recognise both the national focus on retail crime and the significant personal and financial impact it has on local businesses.

The Neighbourhood Team will continue to work closely with Licensing to prevent the unlawful sale of vapes, alcohol, and regulated energy drinks to children, helping keep young people safe. Please report any concerns you may have to us via our website reporting tool or 101.

Reduce the frequency and impact - Heritage Crime

The Neighbourhood Team remains committed to protecting Wallingford's historic buildings, monuments, and heritage assets. Heritage crime—including graffiti, criminal damage, and the theft of historically significant items—can cause lasting harm to locations that are valued by residents, visitors, and the wider community.

We are aware of sporadic trespassing at the Carmel College site, as well as other abandoned buildings in the area, often linked to so-called “urban exploring”. These sites present serious safety risks, including unstable structures, collapsed flooring, and concealed hazards, placing individuals at risk of significant injury. We would strongly discourage anyone from entering such premises.
We are also aware that damage has previously been caused to listed buildings within the site, contributing to the deterioration of heritage assets that are important to the local area. Whilst trespass itself is generally a civil matter, entering restricted sites can quickly lead to criminal offences being committed, including criminal damage, burglary, theft, and public order offences. Recent legislative changes have also introduced further offences that may apply to those found inside or within the grounds of such premises.
This month, the team are meeting with local councillors, representatives from housing developers, local authorities and elected representatives, to discuss this and other anti-social behaviour around the area. We continue to conduct patrols in these locations, supported by colleagues from the Joint Operations Unit, and work alongside landowners, schools, local authorities, and partner agencies to educate and deter trespassing. Where offences are identified, we will seek to identify those responsible and pursue appropriate enforcement action. We also ask parents and carers to be aware of their children’s whereabouts and to discuss the risks and consequences associated with entering unsafe or restricted sites.

Protecting the area's heritage is a shared responsibility, and we remain committed to preserving these important buildings and spaces for future generations while responding robustly to any reports of damage or criminality.