DAY 18: High visibility patrols in Windsor to prevent illegal fishing and poaching



The team in Windsor aimed to tackle wildlife crimes like illegal fishing and poaching in a two-phase enforcement operation with the Environment Agency which ran from 4pm until 3am last Friday night (31/8).

Phase one: 4pm – 8pm

Officers and PCSOs worked with the Environment Agency officers patrolling the Jubilee River and a number of lakes in and around the Datchet, Horton and Wraysbury areas. They were on the lookout for signs of illegal fishing along the waterways.

The exercise was productive with a number of people being stopped and spoken to letting them know about the work the team were doing. In addition to this, three people were reported by the Environment Agency for illegal fishing and six more were given advice by the Agency for the same offence.

An illegal crayfish net was also found in the lake owned by Wraysbury Dive Centre. This was seized by the Environment Agency not least because of the danger it posed to the divers!

Windsor team: officers, PCSOs and the Environment Agency

Phase two: 7pm – 3am

The Windsor police officers, Great Park Wardens and local farmers ran a proactive operation targeting trespass and poaching. The team also targeted vehicles carrying plant machinery as well as HGVs and vans with the aim of finding people linked to rural crime.

From 7pm until 10pm two officers from the mounted section (that’s the horses to you and me!), did a high-visibility patrol on the Great Park. They worked alongside the wardens patrolling the main areas where poaching, hunting and anti-social behaviour occurs.

Around 10 vehicles and up to 15 people were stopped however no arrests were made, no stolen property was found but no rural crime was reported either!



Mounted section patrol with the park wardens as it's getting dark

DAY 13: Windsor and Maidenhead team set up shop



The Windsor and Maidenhead team had a successful day yesterday setting up the mobile police station at the Windsor Farm Shop. Between 11am and 4pm, the team had a steady flow of visitors coming to see them throughout the day and as well as rural crime prevention advice, they spoke to many non-farming residents about metal theft, fly tipping and general home security.



The team at Windsor Farm Shop



Anne Chalmers, the Crime Prevention and Reduction Advisor for the area then crewed up with two officers and headed out to Windsor where they visited seven farms and 10 farms in Ascot to discuss access security, agricultural machinery marking and oil and diesel security. Six of the residents visited signed up to Country Watch Alerts (the others were already signed up!).

Nigel Berryman, who farms on the Crown Estate said of the advice he has recieved: “I’ve certainly found it very useful. For us living on the urban fringe it’s great to see the police being more proactive with rural crime than they have ever been before.”

Anne and the team have more visits to do this week in the Maidenhead area, so keep a look out for them!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out the Country Watch messaging system yet, visit the site and sign yourself up. You will receive up to date crime news, witness appeals and crime prevention advice from your local neighbourhood policing team which is relevant to you area and the rural and farming community. You can also find some useful advice on the site about how to better protect your property and land.