Crime in Wheatley, Rochford

Our plans for the high street areas include robustly dealing with those using these spaces for aggressive begging.

We have issued Community Protection orders on those we know use these high footfall areas to aggressively beg to ban them from these locations.

We continue to monitor these persons to make sure they are complying with the terms of the bans and keep them from persistently pestering shoppers and residents.

This compliments our plans to robustly police the high street in Rayleigh and Rochford.

Looking ahead, we’ll continue to patrol our towns and open spaces using intelligence-led policing and hotspot analysis to ensure our officers are in the right place at the right time.

We’re also strengthening our partnership with Rochford District Council to support victims and prevent anti-social behaviour from escalating into more serious offences.

Together, we’re building safer, stronger communities.

We are running a three-month operation, Project Vigilant, using funds provided by the government, to increase our presence in the night time economy in places where women and girls do not feel safe.

The operation involves the deployment of plain clothes and uniformed officers to identify and intercept those who might be displaying concerning behaviour and prevent offending whilst building our intelligence picture and dealing proactively with any identified offending.

We do monitor the Common Place website - https://essexcommsafety.commonplace.is/ this is another place, in addition to reporting to Essex Police, where you can have your say about the locations that affect you, in turn this will help us direct our presence.

In response, our Neighbourhood Team has launched targeted operations to tackle this issue head-on.

Our operations have focused on the use of e-scooters and modified e-bikes in the district, specifically high powered Surron style devices.

Recent warrants have seen bikes of this style seized where we have clear evidence of their use.

We also speak to users on our patrols to educate on the use of these modes of transport and the inherent risks they pose.

Our officers will continue to be out in the community, focusing on enforcement and education. By engaging directly with owners and raising awareness, we aim to prevent further misuse and promote responsible behaviour.

We’re committed to ensuring our public spaces remain safe and enjoyable for everyone.