Rushcliffe Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Tim Cuthbert writes a monthly update for the borough.
‘It has been an incredibly busy few weeks for policing in Rushcliffe, with the hot weather bringing certain challenges, as well as peak demand in other areas of business, so I’ll bring you up to speed with some of our current challenges, as well as what we’re doing about them.’
‘Firstly, you may have seen our force-wide communications around the dangers of young people jumping into rivers, canals and lakes during periods of hot weather.
‘Nationally, during the heatwave, over 10 people have tragically died in open-water incidents, including one incident in Nottinghamshire.
‘These incidents are tragedies, yet are so avoidable. With the end of GCSE and A-level exams coming up soon, and extended summer breaks for a lot of young people, I’d urge parents to discuss the dangers of jumping into rivers and open water with their children and discourage them from doing so.
‘The police cannot be present along riversides and at lakes all summer to advise people not to jump in, but all too frequently, we are called to situations where people get into difficulty in the water, especially during heatwaves. There is plenty of advice available online on the RNLI and Canal & River Trust websites about what to do if someone falls into the water. Please take a moment to read it, as it could save someone’s life.
‘The last 6 to 8 weeks have seen a rise in burglaries and thefts of motor vehicles across Rushcliffe.
‘As Rushcliffe is generally a very low-crime area, a crime spike such as this is spotted very quickly, and officers from Response, Neighbourhoods, and specialist resources from the Operational Support Department and Dog Section have been working hard on night shifts, with additional patrols and increased resourcing being co-ordinated around the area.
‘Several arrests have already taken place, with some great work from local and regional detectives too, and we also have several more suspects being sought as I type. Offences are typically committed overnight and involve offenders on motorbikes and in vehicles, so if you see vehicles acting suspiciously or individuals looking on driveways or prowling around properties at night, please call them in, and the resources we have on duty will respond as soon as possible.
‘Burglary offences will always be my number one priority for the area, and whilst incidents have started to reduce in the last couple of weeks due to police activity, I’m not in any way complacent, and nor is my team. There is an abundance of crime prevention advice available on the Notts Police website too if you search for ‘crime prevention’ on the site.
‘Calls for service to the police have increased in recent weeks across the whole force area, and Rushcliffe is no exception.
‘As previously mentioned in correspondence, sometimes when demand peaks, response times are negatively impacted; however, if we don’t know about something, we cannot factor it into our patrols or problem-management plans.
‘We often have situations where local residents post reports of crime on social media pages but don’t phone the police about it. I’d urge people that if there is a suspicious incident, or a crime that has occurred or is occurring, please call the police.
‘A suspicious incident called in at 2 am could be the crucial call that leads to a serious criminal being intercepted and arrested. Officers from other departments may respond to calls at peak times, as we have experienced in recent weeks, as staff across the organisation adapt according to the volume and nature of the calls received.
‘With summer well and truly on the way, we’ll see an increase in public events in the borough, with an array of village events, as well as larger public concerts such as Proms in the Park on 27 June. We also have the return of international Test cricket at Trent Bridge, with England taking on New Zealand at the end of the month.
‘Our local officers will be supporting these events with patrols, so please say hello and meet the team whilst they’re out and about. The policing of events is something that is routinely supported by beat teams, and along with other agencies, the police help with risk assessments through the Safety Advisory Group to ensure all attendees at events are as safe as possible. Finally, continuing with the sporting theme, it would be remiss of me not to say a huge congratulations to Notts County on their promotion to League One!‘
