Hi Resident

If you find this information helpful please “rate” this message at the bottom (very quick and simple).

Throughout the year you asked us to:

- Further Reduce Anti-Social Behaviour

- Target Drug use and supply

- Make our roads a safer

You said – We did:

- Operation Spider was launched in 2021 to provide a long term reduction to ASB. With PCC funded E-Bikes we have been able to identify and target hot spot locations, we have disrupted offenders, diverted young people to our youth provision with Community Action IW and worked with Health, Education, the local authority and the Community Safety Partnership to engage young people and reduce repeat offending. ASB had reduced by 49% by January 2024 and we continue to use the tactics of Operation Spider to maintain these reductions by identifying new cohorts of young people and engaging them at an early stage.

- Operation Antidote was launched in June 2024 to address your concerns with Drug use and Supply. We launched with a successful Warrant in Shanklin which led to the recovery of controlled drugs (the investigation remains ongoing). We have utilised ASB Closure Warnings on addresses linked to the supply of controlled drugs, Community Protection Notices for offenders and seen the team deliver an increase in Hot Spot Patrols on foot and cycle which have led to an increase in positive stop searches using Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. We are working closely with Health and Education to deliver diversion and educational inputs to divert offenders from drug use and some exciting work with Southern Housing under our ‘Wisteria Agreement’ to work in partnership reducing drug use and supply in houses of multiple occupancy. We have also seen the introduction of an OPCC and NHS joint funded support working at Sandham House in Sandown and this is having an instantly positive impact on residents of the site and neighbouring residents. This work is in its infancy but we are already seeing the positive impacts in our Towns with calls for service reduced by 39% compared with the previous 12 months.

- Operation Sidlaw was launched by PC Carey and has seen the successful use of Road Traffic legislation to target vehicles being used in a dangerous and anti-social manner. Highlights include the prosecution of a driver travelling at 71mph in a 30mph at Yaverland, delivering  educational inputs, launching a Community Speed watch Scheme and the wonderful deployment at Broadlea Primary School with pupils delivering road safety advice to drivers caught speeding outside of the school. We continue to deliver Op Sidlaw patrols and will be deploying joint operations to address dangerous parking in the new year.

PC Trickey saw some success in securing the Ocean Hotel with metal boarding and we have seen a significant drop in calls to the location. This is just a small piece of much larger work and continue to support the Local Authority Planning Services and Community Safety Partnership as they address the long term impact of the site. There is also significant work ongoing with several derelict sites throughout the bay.

Thank you to our partners at the Community Safety Partnership, NHS, Education Authority, Schools, Planning Services, Outreach Services, Youth Justice, Community Action IW, Parish Councils, Children’s and Adult Services and many more who work with your local Policing Team every day to make Sandown, Lake, Shanklin and Ventnor a safe place to live, work and visit.

Finally thank you to our communities for engaging with the team to shape Policing in the Bay – if you haven’t had your say yet – do it now at

Please click here to complete the survey

All the Best

Sgt Sharland

South Wight NPT

#BeatBobby #OpSpider #OpAntidote #OpSidlaw #LocalPolicing