Fined by environmental crime officers?

Calling all residents who have been fined recently.

I want to hear from you ASAP.

I could not believe it after Tesco customers started complaining of being fined by district environmental crime officers (DECOs) in the car park.

The store manager wrote to RBWM and even recorded a video asking officers to refrain from issuing fines and they kept on coming back!

After seeing them driving around the car park, I was told they had been in there for hours when I started a 12pm shift last week.

I had a word with the DECOs and immediately called the lead officer and MD,

demanding a panel meeting of overview and scrutiny where councillors could discuss how they should be operating in a public forum.

With the help of other councillors who are suffering the same complaints from residents, a panel meeting has been convened for next Tuesday, November 10 at 6:15pm.

You can watch it on YouTube.

Your friendly district environmental crime officers have issued 649 FPNs up to October 30 – that’s just four weeks – 552 for cigarette associated offences at £100 each and just one for dog fouling!

That’s 85 per cent of all fines being easy pickings, driving around car parks, jumping out and pinching residents!

Doing some quick sums, that looks like circa £20k a WEEK is being taken from residents’ pockets at this time of job insecurity, COVID lockdown and Christmas just around the corner.

Obviously we want to improve littering and fly-tipping in RBWM but this seems very heavy handed.

Warnings followed by increasing fines starting at £25 would be more reasonable but not as attractive for an outside contractor to take on.

At this week’s O&S Cllr Bowden said he wanted to hear from residents and so I invite you to email me cllr.davey@rbwm.gov.uk and I will ensure your comments are passed on to the chair, feelings collated and discussed at next week's meeting.

Cllr JON DAVEY WWRA, Clewer & Dedworth West