Sadly, the summer is coming to an end, with a little more rain than a lot of us would like!
For us, we have had a successful summer with the introduction of government-funded anti-social behaviour (ASB) hotspot patrol initiatives.
This funding has allowed us to put additional resources into patrolling the top ASB areas in our town.
As a result, looking at what the public tells us during our consultations, crime reports and monthly statistics, we have not seen the usual ASB flare-ups we commonly do over the summer months.
Unfortunately, we are still being hit with keyless car thefts in the area; this is a trend affecting the country as a whole with vehicle crime on the up. We have repeated our crime prevention messages on social media. Sadly, a few social media comments have tried to belittle or mock the advice given. I would urge you to pay attention to these messages as they are there to help you protect yourself and your property. We would always rather you don’t have any contact with us at all than as a victim!
We have seen more reports of E-Scooters being used in the town. A reminder that E-scooters are classed as a motor vehicle. So, it must be insured! You need a licence and you need tax. Likewise, you can only use them on private land. You can only ride them in towns running rental schemes; this is not Melksham.
Unfortunately, we cannot make the message any simpler for people: do not ride an E-scooter in town!
If you are stopped by the police, it is an automatic seizure and you lose your scooter and its cash value for good.
We are running a monthly drop-in surgery in King George V playing fields, this will be held every third Saturday of the month. Come and say hello, have a chat about any issues and help yourself to some great crime prevention merchandise. We hope to see you there!
Check out our social media pages for times.
Sergeant Gemma Rutter
Pictured: Sergeant Gemma Rutter
