Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in June 2025. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.
IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Safer Parks Police Panel coming to an end +++ Cyclist knocked down by dog off lead +++ Check out our list of club rides in the park +++
Visit our sponsors: Bella Velo, Cycle Exchange, Forge 1860, Kingston Wheelers, London Dynamo, Richmond Cycles, Richmond Park Rouleurs, Sigma Sports
LONG GOODBYE
The farewell to the park’s police force has begun. As we mentioned in passing last month, the gradual dismantling of the Operational Command Unit to help plug the Met’s funding gap will be completed by the start of November – and now Sgt Pete Sturgess, who leads the park’s policing team, has told us that next month’s meeting of the Safer Parks Police Panel will be the last.
Long-time subscribers will know that the panel is where the police set their priorities for the quarter-year. In the past, we have got them to focus on catching motorists who have ignored no-entry signs on the roads or exceeded the speed limit. But with Sgt Pete’s officers slowly leaving the unit to take up policing jobs elsewhere, he may not have the staff to fulfil whatever priorities are set by us and the other members of the SPPP, which is why he has now sensibly chosen to pull the plug.
Another panel is likely to be set up by one of the wards neighbouring the park, and we should be invited to join, but it remains to be seen whether it will be as easy or effective for us and other stakeholders to set policing priorities when there is no longer a dedicated unit. And while the police have committed to responding to 999 calls from the park, there is concern that policing will be less proactive in finding breaches of the law and the park regulations, such as keeping an eye out for speeding motorists and unauthorised trade vehicles. Hopefully more will become clear at the next panel meeting.
OFF-LEAD INVESTIGATORS
A timely example has emerged of the useful work carried out by the park’s police which may not necessarily happen when they are replaced.
Last Sunday a dog off a lead, which was chasing a deer, ran out into the road on Sawyer’s Hill and knocked over a cyclist, who suffered broken ribs and injuries to her head. An ambulance took her away and she is believed to be still in hospital. The park’s regulations state that all dogs should be on leads at this time of year – but the ambulance crew did not report the incident to the police as no motor vehicles were involved.
Thankfully, the cyclist’s husband contacted the park’s police and they are now liaising with him. An officer is currently advising the man to report the incident and submit footage from a video camera which the cyclist had running when the dog collided with her.
Without a dedicated team to speak to and chase up incidents like this, it might not be as straightforward to get them reported, and therefore recorded as data. We thank the park’s police for attempting to make sure that this collision, and others like it, are recorded in their official statistics.
CLUBBED TOGETHER
Quite a while ago, we asked clubs and groups to submit details of rides that they run in Richmond Park which we could publicise on our website – then we became distracted by our discussions with The Royal Parks and the removal of the park’s police unit. Now, however, we’ve finally got round to publishing them.
The rides are now listed on the new Frequently Asked Questions page on our website. You can find it here.
Many thanks to all the clubs who contributed. If you would like to add your ride to the list, please email us. More cycling-related questions and answers will appear on the page in due course.
TWINNING RIDE
Next weekend, Richmond celebrates 65 years of being twinned with both Fontainebleau in France and Konstanz in Germany. There is a whole series of events, including a ride organised by our friends at Richmond Cycling Campaign. All the events are shown on the council’s site, and RCC is inviting locals to join their ride on June 7. Sign up here if you’re interested.
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...
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All the best,
Richmond Park Cyclists