INSPECTOR CHRIS PEARSON
I wanted to start with an update around ‘Operation Bion’ which is the forces response to the Coronavirus.
The relaxation of the some of the government restrictions along with the warmer weather has certainly resulted in increased demand across the area.
Officers are continuing with daily patrols and our approach to the government guidelines continues to be one of ‘Engage, Explain and Encourage’.
We have seen an increase in reported anti-social behaviour in some of our parks and open spaces over the last few weeks and we have been working closely with our colleagues at Gedling Borough Council to put plans in place to deal with this.

For the rest of our teams it is very much ‘buisness as usual’ and a huge amount of proactive work has been undertaken over the last month with a number of arrests for drugs supply offences. Drugs supply will continue to be one of our priorities and we are planning further enforcement around this and the ‘buy in’ from the local community to help us identify offenders has been fantastic. Three teams of officers are working together on this project and the results including vehicle, drugs and cash seizures are very encouraging.
I wanted to touch on Burglary as this remains another of our local priorities. Earlier this month I joined the Gedling South team on patrol in Burton Joyce following a number of reported burglaries whereby sheds and garages had been targeted. We carried out a number of vehicle stops and high visibility patrols in the area before handing over to the Gedling Reacher team and our Specials who worked in the area over several nights to discourage offending. Officers also carried out patrols on the electric bikes to ensure maximum visibility in the area.
We are also investigating three linked incidents in the Arnold area whereby elderly residents have been targeted during the daytime on Calverton Road, Jenned Drive and Patricia Drive. These are all distraction-type incidents and the County Burglary team are investigating these offences.
TEAM UPDATE: ARNOLD
Gedling North NPT have continued with ‘Op Bion’ patrols over the last month which is the force’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The warmer weather has contributed to an increase in reported anti-social behaviour across the area especially with some of the government restrictions being relaxed.
Over the bank holiday weekends we did experience an increase in reported ASB in some of our parks including Burntstump
Country Park and Newstead Abbey. The team have increased patrols in these areas and are being assisted by the Gedling Reacher team and our Special Constables.

On May 24, the Specials carried out a speeding operation on Longdale Lane, Ravenshead. 15 vehicles were stopped in total with 4 drivers issued tickets due to their excessive speed, whilst others were given words of advice.
The Specials are planning to set up similar operations across the area in the near future and we have been contacted by members of the public to suggest roads of concern.
CID officers are currently investigating an incident which occurred on May 29, at Bestwood Country Park. It was reported 3 men had been riding on their bikes when a man holding an axe approached one of them, hitting him in the head, shoulder and back in an unprovoked attack. The male then ran away from the scene. The victim suffered a cut to his head and body and was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre for treatment. Thankfully his injuries are not as serious as they could have been. An appeal has been made in the media for witnesses and the Neighbourhood Policing Team are conducting increased patrols in the area along with the Gedling Op Reacher team.
A drugs warrant was executed in early May at an address on Aiden Gardens which involved Neighbourhood Policing
officers and also officers from the Tactical Support Unit. No one was arrested but a number of items were seized from the property. Further proactive drugs enforcement action is planned for the area over the summer.
Sergeant Helen Walker
TEAM UPDATE: CARLTON
The last four weeks have been very busy for the Gedling South team as Operation THISTLE went live to the public.
Having listened to the concerns of the residents, drug dealing was made a local priority for Gedling and with it OP THISTLE was created.
The operation is an ongoing proactive operation tackling drug use and supply in and around the Netherfield area. The Gedling south Neighbourhood policing team, supported by our proactive ‘Operation Reacher’ team, are committed to continuing this work to reduce drug-related crime and take robust action in response to community concerns such as drug-related crime. To date the operation has seen seven separate warrants leading to a large amount of drugs being seized and people arrested.

As a result of the drugs enforcement we are also regularly locating stolen items and returning them to their rightful owners; An Op Thistle warrant in Netherfield identified stolen camping equipment taken from a NHS workers garage in Gedling. It
was quickly returned and the offender has been charged with this offence.
The key to the success of this operation lies with residents being prepared to pass information to us so that we can assess, develop and take action. We have been overwhelmed by how our public have bought into the operation and shown the confidence to report their observations to us through the appropriate channels. I want to continue to offer reassurance that any provided will be taken in confidence by my officers and that we review every piece of information with a view to taking further action.
Operation Thistle has also been supported by other force resources such as the proactive knife crime team. On May 28, the team were in the Valley Road area of Carlton when a vehicle stop resulted in a significant seizure of Class A and B drugs. Two males were arrested and following the search of properties cash and further drugs were recovered.
On Sunday, May 31, the Gedling Neighbourhood team responded to an incident on the team’s new electric bikes. The team were able to locate a suspicious male who happened to be wanted for burglary and criminal damage offences. The new bikes enabled the team to make a silent approach into the area and as such the male was detained before he was able to leave the area.
Sergeant Mike Ebbins
OPERATION REACHER
The Gedling Operation Reacher team are coming into their 6th month of existence in the Gedling Borough and we are hoping that the team are becoming familiar faces in the area.
Due to Covid19, we have not been as prominent on the community side of things as we would have hoped but we will strive to rectify this as normality returns in the future.
During the lockdown, we have been involved with Operation BION patrols. Engaging, Explaining and Educating the public of the importance of social distancing.
We have been carrying out additional patrols particularly in the Calverton area, Burton Joyce and lately in Newstead Abbey Park following the build-up of visitors after the relaxation of some areas of the lockdown.

We have continued our community work by working in partnership with Gedling Borough Council at the Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton helping with the packing of food parcels for the vulnerable members of our community. We have supported supermarkets on our area such as Sainsburys, Arnold by assisting staff members who were marshalling the queuing of customers. These supermarkets have been very generous in donating food for key workers and the vulnerable.
When normality returns we hope to have pop up stands in the entrance to the local supermarkets where we will be available for members of the public to meet and speak to us.
We have continued to seek out criminals using the roads along with road users committing offences under the Road Traffic Act. This has led to the arrest of individuals and on-going investigations for drug offences. It has also led to the seizure of numerous vehicles.
We have continued to work together with both the Arnold and Gedling Beat teams in executing warrants to reduce acquisitive crime and the supply of drugs in the area.
Sergeant Matt Sisson