Balderton and Farndon

Retail Crime in Newark Town Centre

In recent months the town centre has suffered spikes in both shop theft, and commercial burglaries where retail premises have been targeted. As a team we are aware of the impact of this type of offending, not only in a financial sense but also in the confidence of the community and businesses that they can operate in a safe and secure environment.

We have continued to have additional hot spot patrols in the town centre, with 160 additional hours provided through the Hot Spot Patrol fund. In February the team arrested and charged 13 of our most prolific shoplifters. The work continues to collate reports of shop theft across the area, and to quickly identify repeat offenders so that we can arrest and charge them as quickly as possible. We have a number of live investigations ongoing, including into a series of burglaries of business premises, and the team are working hard to gather all available evidence in relation to this. As the summer months approach the team will be out in the town centre providing a presence, and giving crime prevention advice to businesses and visitors alike,

Drug Supp/y in Newark
As a Neighbourhoods team we are well aware of the harm is misery the drugs trade brings to local communities. The impact of drugs links into many other areas of policing and has a significant impact on the feeling of safety and security for residents of Newark and the wider district.
We have had success in recent months in targeting individuals we know to be actively involved in the drugs trade, and while we can be proud of success, we are realistic that wherever there is a demand a supply will follow. The team will therefore be focusing their efforts on proactively developing intelligence and focusing on individuals believed to be involved in the Newark drugs trade. As ever we rely upon information from the community to support this work so if you do have any information, please contact us via 101, the online portal or anonymously via Crimestoppers.

We are continuing our efforts to develop intelligence about drug dealing in our communities. Over the last 2 months we have had the support of the road crime team in targeting vehicles and individuals linked to drug dealing. This has led to a number of vehicle stops and stop searches of key individuals. Through this activity the neighbourhoods team have identified some key individuals who we will be targeting in the coming months.

Shop Theft in Ollerton & Blidworth

During December 2024 23 or 33 reported shop thefts reported in Sherwood were in Ollerton or Blidworth, with several premises being repeat victims.
This offending not only has a financial effect on local businesses, but also has significant impact on the feelings and confidence of staff and consumers alike. As a team we are well aware of who our main offenders are and continue to work hard to take action to disrupt, deter and change their offending behaviours. We will also be working with stores to support them in target hardening and preventing crime.

The team have been working closely with one premise in particular, which was a repeat victim of shop thefts. The area has been subject to daily patrols, and we have given advice and guidance on how to prevent thefts and avoid being targeted. A letter of guidance has been sent out so that stores know what and how to report, and can ensure the evidence is available and of good quality so investigations can progress quickly. Since the beginning of the year the team have investigated 36 shop thefts, detecting 34 of those which is an exceptional success rate. Offenders have been charged, remanded and served CBO notices. This has been a huge amount of work, but it has made a real difference.