New local policing priorities shared by Inspector Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood

I’m pleased to start 2025 with my latest updates on the work of the Newark and Sherwood Neighbourhood Policing Team, writes Inspector Charlotte Ellam, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood.

We have recently welcomed a number of new team members, including PC Liv Greenwood, PC Sabby Oliver and PC Maisie Seals. This means the team is up to full strength and in the best position to focus on our core business of problem solving, targeted activity and community engagement.

For the period October to December our local priority for Newark was anti-social behaviour in the town centre and Bridge ward.

For some time now the team have been working closely with Newark and Sherwood District Council (NSDC) to focus efforts on the Yorke Drive estate, following reports of drug dealing and associated crime and anti-social behaviour. This was clearly a significant concern for the community.

We have and continue to have an increased patrol presence in the area and have worked with NSDC to secure closure orders and civil injunctions against key premises and individuals. Numerous arrests have been made, individuals have been charged with criminal offences, and we are continuing to look for all options to deal with those who are causing harm and fear amongst the local community.

In relation to the town centre, we have run Op Jingle over the last two months, through which we have been targeting our most prolific shoplifters, who are in many cases also linked to drug use and anti-social behaviour. This has led to the charge and remand to prison of four of our most prolific offenders for numerous offences. Through the hotspot patrol fund, we have conducted an additional 112 hours of foot patrols, with another 200-plus hours planned in for January.

Special mention goes to PC Ryan Flaherty and PC Rich Bombroffe who detained and arrested a well-known shoplifter whilst off duty and having a coffee in the town centre. Even when off duty, the team are switched on and committed to tackling crime in Newark.

The priority for Sherwood for the same period was nuisance vehicles and road safety.

This has taken on various forms, with the team undertaking a variety of activities. We have had two new officers join the Sherwood team, in a tasking role designed to focus on cross district issues including policing of the roads. They have a designated vehicle with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) capability and have supported the existing beat managers in targeting those committing crime on the road network.

During this period, we have had four days of action focusing on speed enforcement, taken part in the annual drink/drug drive campaign, and have deployed with the off-road bike team and drone to target off road vehicles. I am aware we have continuing issues with car cruisers at Rainworth Bypass. We have had the support of the force wide Roads Policing Unit in deploying to disrupt the meets, and we are working with NSDC, Nottinghamshire County Council Highways, and the force’s Prevention Hub to come up with a long-term solution.

All the above work is going on alongside our daily demands such as responding to calls for service, investigating crime, developing intelligence, and being visible in our communities.

Our local policing priorities are set based on crime data and community feedback. The views of those who live in Newark and Sherwood are vital in focusing our activities effectively. If you want your views to be part of this process, please sign up for Notts Alerts. This will not only provide you with updates on our activities and local information but will also give you access to our priorities survey which informs the priority setting. Sign up here.

The new Local Policing Priorities for Newark and Sherwood for the period January to March are:

•Retail Crime in Newark Town Centre

•Shoplifting in Ollerton and Blidworth

•Drug dealing in Newark

Please look out for updates on the team’s activities on our social media channels, and I look forward to updating you next time.

As always, our activities, time and resources are based on information and intelligence from the community.

If you are victim of a crime, please report it via 999 if an emergency, or via 101 or the Nottinghamshire Police website if non-urgent. You can also contact your local beat officers whose details are on the website or pass information anonymously through Crimestoppers.