Patrolling the streets of West Berkshire with two Thames Valley Police response officers
As two Thames Valley Police response officers took to the West Berkshire streets on Friday night (March 17), the Newbury Weekly News went along with them.
Response officers Meghan Adey-Butt and new recruit 20-year-old Jack Dilly walked and drove around Newbury and Thatcham on the lookout for night-time crime.
They also kept an eye out for anyone who may have need support, felt unsafe or required the presence of a police officer, as a part of the force's Street Safe initiative.
Claire Rowles (Con, Hungerford and Kintbury), West Berkshire’s Safer Streets champion was also in attendance to see what the police patrols look like.
Starting off at the police station on Mill Lane, the two officers made their way – on foot – through the underpass that runs below the A339, through the town centre, along Bartholomew Street, and into Victoria Park before getting into the car and venturing further into the district.
PC Adey-Butt, who joined policing at the age of 18 when she became a special constable, said her presence in the town centre acts as a crime deterrent. After seven years as a special constable she became a response officer four years ago.
“We just take a stroll like this,” she said, as security guards from town centre pubs gave nods towards her and PC Dilly as they walked around Market Place.
“Some nights you’ll see loads [of incidents] and some nights you won’t.
“It is nice to be on foot, not just in the police car.
“If we were always in the car, we’d engage with nobody."
She added: “But we do wave back at children and we always stop and talk to people and let them know that we are there.
“It allows us to break down that barrier because whilst we are generally well received, it does vary.
“In my time, I have had really positive experiences with people.
“People do come up to us, they say thank you for our service.”
When in the police car, they pointed out 'crime hotspots', including The Nightingales and McDonalds on Northbrook Street, which is a known area for antisocial behaviour.
The pair made their way through Newbury’s high street, Newbury Racecourse and through Thatcham, including a stop at the Nature Discovery Centre where they discovered a group of males drinking.
PC Dilly, who has been training on the job for seven weeks now, left the vehicle to have a chat with the males before returning with no problems found.
As they continued to drive through Thatcham they stopped to check on the safety of a young women who was stood on a pavement corner alone.
After having a short conversation with her, they decided she was safe enough for them to move on.
Underpasses haven’t been a problem for violent offences but graffiti at the Newbury Racecourse underpass is an issue, they said.
PC Adey-Butt said when it comes to the night time economy, more incidents occur in Newbury than in Thatcham because there are more people, more pubs and more activity.
Thames Valley Police also operates a ‘Shop Safe Radio’ which allows pubs and clubs to contact one another as well as have a direct link to the police should an incident occur.
PC Adey-Butt said Shop Safe Radio isn’t as used as it once was but she hopes they can re-introduce and grow the initiative within the night time economy.
“It used to be well used,” she added.
“It helps because the incidents will get to us a bit quicker.
“Especially with the number of pubs we have got.”
However, she said West Berkshire is an affluent area which makes it easier to police.
Despite this, there is a tendency among victims to feel like they are bothering the police when reporting an incident but PC Adey-Butt said officers want to know.
“In West Berkshire people say I am sorry to bother you but they don't realise that this is our job,” she said.
“Any bit of information can help us build a bigger picture.
“They don’t always realise it but that bit of information could be the missing piece of a puzzle.
“You can report things online and report anonymously and that’s a message we want to get out.
"There are QR codes now too."
To report a crime, go directly to the police at https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/
There are options to report anonymously via Crimestoppers.
