Anti-social drivers targeted by police

An operation designed to clamp down on drivers breaking the speed limit and creating excessive noise from car exhausts took place in Lincoln in February.

Operation Sabanet is an ongoing enforcement activity created by the Lincoln North-East Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) to tackle and respond to vehicle-related anti-social behaviour (ASB) reports from residents including excessive speed and loud noise from car exhausts along Wragby Road and Deacon Road.

The team were joined by the Special Constabulary as well as officers from the Roads Policing Unit (RPU), which allowed them to conduct proactive patrols, speed checks and engagement with the public. 

A sound analyser was also used during the enforcement period, which measures the legality of noise coming from the exhaust of a car.

Enforcement results included:

• One arrest for drug driving.
• One summons for excess speed and driving otherwise in accordance with licence.
• 10 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) were handed out for excess speed, exhaust causing excessive noise, illegal window tints, due care, seatbelt and expired MOT.
• Six Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme (VDRS) reports were handed out for window tints, number plate spacing and defective lights.

Community Beat Manager for Abbey Ward PC Tom Jacobs said: “We received numerous reports over the last few months from residents that live in the rea about excessive noise coming from modified exhausts of cars and speeding they witness on a nightly basis.

“From reports made to us and from other enforcement activity in the area, we found that some of the drivers were car modification enthusiasts that congregate in the car park and others were commuting home and taking advantage of clear, straight roads to speed and subsequently generating a lot of noise while doing so.

“We are not saying it’s illegal for car enthusiasts to congregate, but we would like to encourage them to be mindful of the noise they are generating when they do meet up in different areas, as a courtesy to residents around them. We also now have access to the sound analyser, which means that drivers who exceed the sound limits face the risk of prosecution.

“PCSO James Lingard who is also part of the Lincoln NPT, and I continue to engage with residents, and we also meet regularly with management in Tesco to address the issue. As a result, new speed bumps have been installed at the car park to lessen reports of speeding.

“Operation Sabanet is a really good example of problem-solving policing, which is something that takes place across the force every day. Within problem-solving policing, teams explore ways to identify and understand issues to enable them to deliver a tailored response. This goes to the heart of policing that matters to communities because our teams believe that understanding the root cause of a problem can lead to effective and long-term solutions.”