Rushcliffe Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Tim Cuthbert writes his monthly update for the community including priorities and action.
Tim writes:
‘Following the changes in crime priorities in April, I’m pleased to report reductions in the number of burglaries occurring in the borough, although there are still several reports coming in, with ‘opportunist’-style offences being among the most common.
‘Opportunistic burglaries occur when offenders roam around, trying door handles or looking for insecure buildings to enter. We have images from some recent incidents and are following several promising leads. I anticipate further arrests in the coming days relating to burglary offences.
In terms of shoplifting, while numbers remain high, there has been around a 25% decrease over the last 30 days, which means we’re heading in the right direction.
‘Car cruising remains a persistent issue both in Rushcliffe and nationally. You may have seen recent media coverage of Nottinghamshire Police’s efforts to combat car cruising under Operation Wheelspin.
‘Over the Bank Holiday weekend (3rd–4th May), we faced a significant car cruising event across the East Midlands. Operation Wheelspin was in full effect, and I’d like to personally thank the teams from Operational Support, neighbourhood policing teams, and the Op Wheelspin coordinator, Sgt Keith Croft, for their outstanding work over the weekend. Their efforts led to dozens of prosecutions, several vehicle seizures, and dispersal orders issued by myself and other Neighbourhood Policing Inspectors across the force area. We saw disruptions in Edwalton on the A52, as well as other parts of Rushcliffe, but the work of the Op Wheelspin officers prevented significant disturbance to local residents and reduced risks to other road users.
‘As a more permanent measure to tackle car cruising and the associated noise, danger, and anti-social behaviour it creates, we’ve worked with Nottinghamshire County Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council, Uniper, and Via. Following a series of planning meetings and consultations, Nottinghamshire’s first ‘red route’ will be installed on the roads immediately outside Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. Red lines will replace the double yellow lines, with work scheduled for this month. Additionally, traffic enforcement cameras will be installed to ensure compliance with the red route, automating enforcement and reducing the need for officer attendance. This should effectively ‘design out’ the car cruising issue that has affected the area in recent years. We’ll share images of the new measures in due course.
‘This month sees the return of international cricket to Trent Bridge, with England playing Zimbabwe at the end of May. This will inevitably bring increased activity to West Bridgford town centre, so our local teams will be out and about to ensure safe and smooth enjoyment of the Test match for all. We also have the climax of the Premier League season, including high-profile fixtures with Leicester and Chelsea visiting the City Ground. I’ve been involved in planning for the Leicester game, and you can expect a highly visible police presence to ensure everyone’s safety, following previous disorder linked to this fixture. While this hasn’t previously impacted Rushcliffe, we’re taking no chances, and appropriate staffing levels will be in place.
‘Police officers deal with all manner of incidents, and this week has seen my team working alongside Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service to manage a large number of cows loose on the A46 following a road traffic collision. There are also incidents where officers’ diverse skill sets are called upon in life-threatening situations. In early April, response officers attended reports of a man with a severe arm injury. The calm and quick actions of Sgt Becca Thomas and PCs Connor Sturdy, Karolina Widnic, and Mark Burke pictured undoubtedly saved the life of a man suffering a catastrophic bleed. Well done to those officers—you can read more about the incident here.
