Week of action boosts safety across South Somerset and the Mendips 

Neighbourhood policing teams across South Somerset and the Mendips delivered a successful week of action in mid-September that saw a highly visible police presence, including uniformed and mounted patrols. 

From 9–13 September, neighbourhood police officers and specialist units joined forces in Chard, Crewkerne, Frome, Somerton, Wells, Wincanton and Yeovil to respond to the most pressing issues reported in local communities. Proactive action included: 

• high-visibility patrols in city centres and town centres 

• one arrest for public order offences and assault in Yeovil town centre 

• three arrests for shoplifting, including a prolific shoplifter in Chard who has been charged with 10 counts of theft from multiple stores 

• one arrest for burglary 

• multiple anti-social behaviours orders issued to repeat offenders 

• farm visits, including using drone technology to survey locations 

• positive interactions with members of the public about crime prevention and road safety. 

A highlight was a day of action in Wells, where Avon and Somerset Police’s Chief Constable Sarah Crew joined neighbourhood officers, ASB officers and mounted officers in the city centre. The day, which coincided with Market Day, saw officers visit business premises to discuss effective ways of reporting crime and ASB, providing QR codes to facilitate this. They also spent time chatting with stallholders to discuss the impact of crime and ASB on transient businesses, including their feelings of safety in the city.  

Officers were met with a warm reception from both business owners and members of the public, who expressed their thanks and commented on how reassuring it was to see a heightened police presence in their community. 

Tackling dangerous drivers 

While neighbourhood officers patrolled on foot, the Roads Policing Unit focused on major local roads, including the A303 and A361, to search for drivers committing motoring offences. These included the dangerous ‘Fatal Five’ offences: 

1. Speeding 

2. Not wearing a seatbelt 

3. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs 

4. Distracted driving (e.g. using a mobile phone or hands-free device) 

5. Careless driving (e.g. risky overtaking and undertaking, failing to signal and adhere to road signs and layouts, driving while fatigued) 

Key road safety actions included: 

• one arrest and a motorcycle seized for drug-driving and not having a licence 

• three vehicle stops for licence plate offences and mobile phone use while driving. 

Understanding the impact of rural crime on communities 

Addressing rural crime was another priority, which saw officers from the Rural Crime Team chatting to local farmers about protecting their equipment and promoting community safety through the  Farm Watch scheme.  

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Summing up the week, Chief Inspector Andrew Pritchard said: “Our week of action in South Somerset and the Mendips has demonstrated the power of neighbourhood policing and why being visible in our communities is so important. 

“Neighbourhood policing is all about listening and responding to our communities’ needs, using targeted action to tackle community priorities, and empowering local people and businesses to report crime.  

“This is our bread and butter, and the positive outcomes from the week are just a snapshot of what we do every day to disrupt crime and help make our streets safer.”