Sutton in Ashfield

1. Shop Theft - This is the highest crime type in Ashfield which causes our communities a high level of concern and sadly we have seen a 4% increase over the last 12 months across the district. We are working closely with retailers in our town centres to improve reporting and streamline processes alongside our partners in Ashfield District council to improve and increase our CCTV and assist investigations. We are using Shopwatch as a forum for retailers across the district to give better coverage and understanding as well as outreach services to prevent reoffending from our most prolific offenders.

2. Drug Dealing:
We understand that drug dealing cause our communities a high level of concern due to the nature of the offending and the issues it brings to neighbourhoods. Furthermore, we receive numerous reports and pieces of intelligence with regards to drug dealing in the community as well as addresses members of the public believe are being used to deal from (often with concerns for the residents of those addresses regarding possible cuckooing and the impact these addresses can have on other premises in the area) as well as addresses suspected to be cannabis grows.

3. Anti Social Behaviour, including vehicle related ASB - This covers a variety of issues from use of E-Scooters on public land, illegal use of off road bikes, reports of car meets that cause noise nuisance etc.

1. Shop Theft - What we did and are doing:
* Whilst we have had a 4% increase over the last 12 months, in the last month we have brought this down by 20%. Our positive outcome rate (the number of offenders dealt with by means of charge, report for summons to court, fixed penalty notice, community resolution etc.) for Ashfield for shop theft is 35.7% for this year alone and 30% for the last 12 month period – this is one of the highest across the force area.
*Using external funding opportunities, reinvested in CCTV to improve our ability to identify offenders across the district
* Obtained 5 Criminal Behaviour Orders for our most prolific offenders in Ashfield with 4 pending currently. Requests for these orders are put together by Neighbourhood Policing Officers and then put before the Magistrates Court to be considered and authorised. They include conditions such as banning offenders from carrying bags for life, banning them from certain stores and areas as well as positive conditions such as seeking rehabilitative treatment. Breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order is an arrestable offence and will see the offender put back before the Magistrates Court.
* Conducted monthly multi-agency Days of Action (Operation Ghost Train and Helping Hands) in the Town Centres across the district focusing on shop theft, street based offending and other issues in the areas.
* Commitment to Retail Crime Weeks of Action
* Worked closely and collaboratively to reinvigorate Shopwatch within Kirkby and mirror the work already underway within Hucknall, setting up a localised office in Sutton Town Centre to allow a better response to these issues.
Utilised the Shop Watch radios for stores to have easier access to report issues occurring in the Town Centre to officers from Ashfield District Council and the Police (including CCTV operators and other stores).
Hold Regular Retail Crime Forums through Shopwatch to discuss and put plans in place for the most targeted premises.
* Increased patrols through Home Office Funding for Hotspot Patrols - Both Sutton Town Centre and Hucknall Town Centre are covered by Home Office funding allowing us to deploy additional officers at times when crime trend data shows offending is highest.
* Working with partners in Ashfield District Council Housing and Homelessness Teams as well as Framework, Change, Grow, Live (CGL) and other third sector agencies to look to support those offending and deal with the route cause of this offending.
*Increased number of officers focusing on issues in the town centres linked to retail crime and other street based offending as well as identifying an officer to focus on retail crime and identify trends and patterns to allow us to work on problem solving with businesses and reduce offending.

2. Drug Dealing - What we did and are doing:
* Officers obtained numerous Closure Orders for addresses across Ashfield linked to drug and dealing and general criminal activity as well as anti-social behaviour which affects neighbouring properties and communities, with 3 going to court during the next week in Hucknall alone. We have several problem solving plans in place either focusing on general issues with dealing in areas or based on specific addresses and continue to develop intelligence to enforce where we are able.
* Officers also work with other agencies (Ashfield District Council Housing and Tenancy teams, Vulnerable child and adult support services and third sector partners) with regards to drug dealing and issues around cuckooing and vulnerability.
* Officers worked with the intelligence provided and conducted over 25 warrants in Ashfield in 2024 and additionally located numerous cannabis grows through proactive patrols and gathering intelligence. Again, we continue to gather intelligence and are monitoring several addresses for warrant applications currently.
* The positive outcome rate for drug possession and trafficking offences (which includes drug supply) in Ashfield is 61.5%, an improvement of over 5% in the last 12 months, Ashfield officers have dealt with 190 possession or supply offences (as opposed to the 12 months previous whereby there were more offences (200) with a lower detection rate (55.4%).

3. ASB - What we did and are doing:
We have seen increased reports of anti-social behaviour. This priority will continue to focus on the main areas relating to environmental ASB (where a particular place is identified as a problem, vehicle related ASB and Personal ASB (where a person or premise is targeted by known individuals):

* Vehicle related ASB including E-Scooters – Communications shared with schools and via our Social Media channels re: the illegality of E-Scooter use on any public land. Although the law is very straightforward about the use of e-scooters in public, there is a lot of confusion amongst the general public.
They are used on the Continent (where they are legal) and they can be freely purchased on the high street or online. Unfortunately, many people say that the fact that they cannot use them on the roads was not mentioned when they were sold them, and they are unaware of this restriction. Due to the increased reports and concerns this issue is causing our communities we are currently developing a problem management plan, working with Ashfield District Council and the Fire Service to educate people around there use and the risks they pose as well as taking a more robust stance on their use within the community which will see officers seizing more E-Scooters over the coming months and looking to refer offenders into our Immediate Justice schemes for education.
We will be looking to conduct operations in key locations (Town Centres, outside schools etc.) in the coming months to more proactively deal with this issue.
More advice on E-Scooters can be found here - https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/advice-escooters/
* Vehicles around Junction 27 and the Hucknall bypass as well as the A38 up to Junction 28 and other areas in the evenings and overnight - We received numerous reports from members of the public who live nearby reporting loud gatherings, engine revving, screeching tires etc. affecting their ability to sleep, have their windows open and general quality of life.
Officers conducted several operations in the affected areas speaking with those involved and discussing the issues they were causing. Where appropriate, dispersal powers were used as well as notices under s.59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 which is a robust power allowing officers to seize motor vehicles which are being driven inconsiderately or carelessly on a road or other public place or without lawful authority, off road or on any road that is a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway and in such a manner as to cause, or is likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public.
We also now have a districtwide PSPO in place relating to car cruising and vehicle related nuisance and are working with the Fire Service to deliver bespoke training inputs highlighting the risks of dangerous driving to those that are eligible in an attempt to divert them away from offending before they are involved in a collision or their vehicle is seized and destroyed.
With the weather likely to improve in the coming months, patrols will increase in these key areas under Operation Wheelspin to target this activity.
* Fatal Four Operations - Officers have undertaken Fatal Four Operations in key locations as requested by members of the local community.
We will continue to do so going forward and results of these operations will be shared via Notts Alert (you can sign up here to keep informed - https://nottsalerts.co.uk/Content/Pages/Sign-Up).
The fatal four; are offences prioritised by the police in the NPCC road policing strategy, to reduce the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on the roads. The fatal four offences are: Speeding, Drink and drug driving, Driving while distracted (i.e. mobile phone use) and Non-wearing of seat-belts.
* Off Road Bikes – Not only in the Harlow Woods area and the local parks across the district but more so in residential areas and on our roads. There is a Public Spaces Protection Order across Ashfield relating to vehicle nuisance and we will continue to deploy our off road bike team to work with our neighbourhood officers to reduce the instances occurring and where we are able, seize these vehicles with a robust stance.