Wallingford, Berinsfield and Cholsey

Knife crime and drug use in Wallingford, Benson and Berinsfield

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.
Knife-enabled crime in Wallingford remains very low, which is encouraging. 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.
Alongside this preventative work, we carry out joint visits with housing partners to addresses of concern, helping to identify vulnerability at an early stage and ensuring appropriate support is provided to those who need it.
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 aware of reports of drug-related activity all over the area, including concerns relating to private addresses, and our patrols will continue to focus on these areas over the coming months. We will use a range of tactics, both overt and covert, to identify those responsible and disrupt criminal activity.
We are also working closely with local pubs and bars through Pubwatch and licensing meetings to prevent drug use and associated offending within licensed premises. 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. Your reports help us build intelligence, identify offenders, safeguard vulnerable people, and target our resources where they are needed most.
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.
You can also influence what we do by completing our Community Survey and telling us what you feel our priorities should be (survey closes on 28th August)
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/fiDRThDqNz

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

The Sergeant and Neighbourhood team, alongside partners from the Community Safety Partnership, town and Oxfordshire County Councils, and SOHA, have continued our joint visits around key locations in Wallingford, where ASB and disorder have been particularly high. They will continue working together over the coming months to invest in improvements to facilities and lighting, helping residents feel safer and deterring anti-social behaviour, as well as exploring opportunities for CCTV expansion. If you want to get involved, contact the Community Safety Partnership - South Oxfordshire District Council
https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/south-oxfordshire-district-council/community-help-and-safety/south-and-vale-community-safety-partnership/
Look out for further updates via our TV Alerts, social media channels, and website.

Wallingford and the surrounding villages remain a key focus for the team. July has seen a huge increase in reported anti-social behaviour from the previous month. Recent reports have centred around Market Place, the riverside area, and several housing estates around Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Benson and Berinsfield.
We are continuing to tackle ASB through a combination of high-visibility patrols, plain clothes operations, and strong partnership working. We recognise that residents value seeing their local Neighbourhood Team out and about, and we remain committed to maintaining a visible presence wherever possible. However, policing demand can sometimes mean officers are required elsewhere, and as a result we work closely with the Community Safety Partnership, housing associations, local authorities, schools, and other partners to ensure issues continue to be addressed.
We also encourage residents to work together where appropriate to resolve low-level issues, build stronger neighbourhood relationships, and identify local solutions (such as mediation), with police and partner agencies providing support where needed. By combining enforcement, prevention, and community involvement, we can achieve more effective and lasting outcomes for everyone.
The team continues to host Have Your Say meetings, and school visits, balancing this with growing demand across all areas of policing. While there is a national focus on increasing officer numbers, this does not always translate directly to additional neighbourhood officers locally. As a result, we are prioritising our patrols using data and intelligence to ensure we are visible where it matters most and delivering the greatest impact for our communities.

** Important reminder about water safety in hot weather **
We understand the temptation to cool off in open water during hot weather (particularly when wearing a black uniform and carrying lots of kit!). However, entering rivers, canals, reservoirs, quarries, and other inland waters carries significant risks, including:
•Jumping into the water from height, such as a bridge, may seem harmless but it presents the greatest risk
•Unseen objects beneath the surface
•Unknown depth
•Cold water shock
•Hypothermia
All open water in the UK is cold enough to trigger cold water shock, even during the height of summer. This can cause a sudden rise in blood pressure, which may be fatal for those with pre-existing heart conditions. In some cases, suspected drownings are later found to be linked to cardiac events.
Cold water also significantly reduces swimming ability compared to swimming in a heated pool. Alcohol and swimming do not mix safely.
For more information, visit: https://www.rlss.org.uk/Pages/Category/water-safety-information
#HaveTheConversation @RLSSUK
Stay safe and enjoy the weather responsibly, look out for your friends and call 999 if you see anyone in difficulty. Instinct says jump in – but Call 999 – Float – Throw (an object for them to hold on to, like a rope or buoy).
If you or your organisation would like to host a future Have Your Say event, please get in touch. Your feedback is helping shape the priorities as we develop a collective approach for 2026.
Our new community survey is here! Make sure you have your say on what you think we should be focusing on through August and beyond. Your feedback directly shapes our priorities, so don’t miss the chance to influence what matters most. Your voice counts.
(survey closes on 28th August)
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/fiDRThDqNz

Reduce retail crime in Benson/Cholsey/Wallingford

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.
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 Neighbourhood Team has seen an increase in reports of theft, robbery, and abuse targeting retail workers during July, placing additional demand on local policing resources and highlighting the significant impact these offences have on businesses and the wider community.
This behaviour has 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.

Heritage Crime in Wallingford

We have not seen any significant reports of heritage crime during the past month. However, 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 continued 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 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.
We will continue to carry out targeted patrols and work alongside landowners, schools, local authorities, and partner agencies to deter trespassing, identify those responsible for any offences, and prevent further damage. 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.