Counselors were given the opportunity to ask questions of police chiefs, and in addition to serious crimes, antisocial behavior was raised as a key issue.

In particular, Councilor Gill Birch (Conservative, Hanworth) urged police to take action to eliminate car gatherings.

READ MORE: Bracknell’s Crime Map Shows All Crimes Recorded in July 2021

Cllr Birch said: “The public at the time expressed concern that the police would arrive at the site of the motor vehicle rallies, as it was noticed that the police were arriving well after the anti-social event. Sainsbury’s at Birch Hill was used by young runners as a starting point for traversing all of Bracknell.

“Can you please explain what measures have been taken to curb noisy cars and motorcycles, how you will proceed, and over the past two years, how many people have been charged and prosecuted in connection with this activity?” ? ”

In response, Thames Valley Police Chief John Campbell said: “If I speak in general terms, if there are other more serious crimes happening at the same time, where people are injured or under attack, or investigations are in progress, then my agents will prioritize these types of events.

“I guarantee you they won’t be sitting around doing nothing, but they will have to prioritize.”

Thames Valley Police Chief John Campbell at the meeting. Credit: Bracknell Forest Council / Microsoft Teams

Police Chief Campbell continued, “As frustrating as the noisy cars can be, and I understand that and we can fix the issues, if these officers are hired somewhere else they might not attend.

“They might be dealing with a crime, someone in custody, etc., I generally do. I don’t want to lose sight of this is a frustration for you, but sometimes you have to balance the gravity of what we get.

“We get 300,000,999 calls a year, often people in crisis who need us right away, and I think you would expect us to answer them.”

READ MORE: Hellish night of car noise coming from Bracknell Sainsbury residents’ problems

Assistant Inspector Helen Kelly explained the tactics police used to try to stop car rallies, but said it was “really, really difficult” to come up with numbers for offenses, charges and prosecutions , because car gatherings are not explicitly illegal.

However, infractions can occur during such events such as speeding and criminal damage. She explained that the police use section 59 warnings under the 2002 Police Reform Act, which can be used to seize a car or motorcycle if they are captured again elsewhere in the country.

Assistant Inspector Kelly said, “It’s a really good tool. ”

She added that an officer from the neighborhood team was looking to work with the Bracknell Forest Council and Wokingham Borough Council to do “joint work” to try to deter cars and prevent the problem from moving between areas.

Police were involved in moving a car rally at Sainsbury’s from Bagshot Road in July and were able to prevent a large car rally from taking place in Wokingham in April.

Sainsbury’s car park at Bagshot Road, Bracknell, which was used for car meets. Credit: Google Maps

Earlier in the meeting, Matthew Barber, Commissioner of Police and Crime for the Thames Valley (Conservative) explained how a pilot ‘speedwatch’ program had been successful and will be rolled out across the Thames Valley in October.

In addition, more speed monitoring programs in communities will be promoted in the spring of next year.

The programs involve volunteers using speed monitoring equipment to track speeds. If speeding vehicles are caught, the information will then be shared with the police for prosecution.

You can see the tweet coverage of the meeting here:

A plenary meeting of the Bracknell Forestry Council is currently in session. #Bracknell #LDReporter You can view the meeting in the Microsoft Teams link here https://t.co/vkAzP8rxMx

– James Aldridge (@jamesAjourno) September 15, 2021

The Bracknell Forest Council plenary meeting took place on Wednesday September 15th.