Our main focus for the last two weeks has been surrounding reports of ‘boy racers’ which we’ve been receiving in volumes from the local community.
So far, we’ve dealt with 18 motorists for a variety of offences, ranging from loud exhausts, to drink and drug driving.
Loud exhausts are our particular focus because they disturb residents in places that young motorists may not be aware of. We are, of course taking opportunities to speak with groups and explain the impact of loud vehicles racing around late at night.
We were proud to have been a part of the town’s Annual Remembrance Service. We were represented in Melksham by Chief Inspector Allen Lumley, remembering the sacrifice of those who’ve lost their lives in conflict. We’re also starting to prepare for Christmas, by planning for Op Elf.
This is an annual operation run in the weeks leading up to Christmas, where we proactively target shoplifters. We’ll be deploying officers in plain clothes to the shops which have been suffering the hardest. Aside from that, we’ve been spending a lot of time honing our working practices in line with the Chief Constable’s realigned focus on victims, investigation and vulnerability.
We’ll continue to attend all residential burglaries and we’ve been distributing forensic marking equipment to victims of these offences. Please be vigilant, especially if you own or lease a business premises in one of the villages. There have been five burglaries over the last six weeks in the Melksham area, mostly in the rural parts.
We’ve also had a series of burglaries targeting farms on the neighbouring Bradford on Avon area. Keep doors locked when buildings are unattended; valuables out of view or secured. Don’t leave batteries, tack, fuel, or tools easily accessible where it can be helped. We’re also continuing to focus on our top repeat offenders; who are a group of youths at present.
They’re mostly coming to our attention for missing episodes, which we’re working with other agencies to try and reduce, in order to lessen the risk to these individuals.
Acting inspector James Twyford, head of the Melksham and Trowbridge Community Policing Team
