Crime in Avon Valley, Wiltshire

Local NPT officers continue to work hard to tackle issues of anti social behaviour across the Amesbury Neighbourhood Policing area. The closure order obtained for a property in Amesbury which was found to be a hotspot for ASB continues to be policed ensuring it is complied with. We have obtained a second closure order supporting a vulnerable member of the community and have also obtained a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) against an individual causing ASB to the community and begging. Local officers continue to patrol areas where ASB is reported. Officers are also committed with hi visibility patrols of the rural areas within the Stonehenge Area Board locality where concerns have been raised around issues including off road bikes being driven in an anti social manner. We will continue to focus our patrols on areas where we know anti social behaviour is taking place with a view to deterring and dealing with any issues.

Rural areas have been targeted by criminals in recent months with an increase in incidents of non dwelling burglaries where tools, motor bikes and quad bikes have been stolen. Adjacent neighbourhood policing areas have seen similar issues as have neighbouring forces. NPT officers have endeavoured to visit those affected and offer security advice as well as Selecta DNA – a tool used to mark property which can help to identify its owner if recovered. A joint operation also took place at the beginning of October where Wiltshire and Hampshire officers worked together to patrol vulnerable areas to detect and deter crime. A further operation ran at the beginning of November with Rural Crime and NPT officers again targeting areas vulnerable to non dwelling burglaries and hare coursing.
Our Neighbourhood Team are pro-active in providing advice to vulnerable areas to raise their awareness of rural crime and to help them protect their property.

Retail Crime continues to be an area of focus for the Force. In November we have engaged in Safer Business Action Week, a national initiative designed to tackle business and retail crime. During this period we visited over 35 businesses engaging with staff, customers and management. We also conducted joint visits with Wiltshire Council Colleagues to offer advice and literature on ASB and crime reduction. During the Christmas period a further targeted Operation took place focusing on deterring and detecting theft. We continue to engage with retailers and business as part of our daily activities and where issues are identified work with them to reduce and resolve concerns in collaboration with colleagues from the Neighbourhood Harm Reduction Unit.