Police Crackdown On Cyclists Using Mobile Phones

Update on local police news at Chiswick Area Forum

Police are to launch a crackdown on cyclists using mobile phones according to a local police update given to the Chiswick Area Forum last week

Sergeant Kevin Sinclair and Andy Pugh who are still based at Chiswick Police Station said the Safer Transport team had launched a campaign, funded by TfL which focused on people using mobile phones while cycling.

He said Fixed Penalty tickets had been issued in a number of cases. They were working alongside colleagues from the Road Traffic Transport Team.

Ruth Mayorcas, local election Labour candidate asked the police representatives whether drivers using mobile phones would also be targeted and David Lesniak of Outsider Tart asked whether cyclists who used pavements would be considered as part of the focus.

She said other boroughs initiated a 'close pass' survey to see how close cars passed by cyclists and she wondered if this could be carried out on Chiswick High Road.

The police replied that they would be focusing on several hotspots for this type of behaviour. There were no plans for the 'close pass' survey but it might come up in future.

Anna Jackson of the Thornton and Mayfield Residents Association said that delivery mopeds were riding over the pavement at the bottom of the street (at the junction with Turnham Green Terrace) and this was dangerous to pedestrians. There were schoolchildren walking along the pavement who could be knocked down. She wondered if CCTV could be used to catch the culprits.

Another resident asked if police were aware there was drug dealing in the vicinity of Chiswick Railway station. She was told that any information should be passed onto police by local residents.

The police report for the three Safer Neighbourhood Wards:

Homefields: Burglaries had increased by 3 per cent over last year's figures. The team are emailing over 1600 residents to keep in touch on various topics. Theft from motor vehicles remained the major crime in the ward. Police officers had been trained to use the Forensic Spray to help catch criminals on mopeds. Cycling on pavements was also reported frequently in the area.

Riverside: Burglaries had decreased, as had theft of pedal cycles. Theft from vehicles remained high. Officers are working days off to increase police presence in the area.

Turnham Green: Shoplifting had been a problem in the three months leading up to Christmas with 24 reported thefts from shops. Thefts from vehicles increased in the three month period with 98 reported incidents. There had been increased complaints about beggars and rough sleepers in the area. General anti-social behaviour had been lower than previous months.

January 26, 2018