Number of people banned from Wiltshire areas more than tripled thanks to multi-agency panel
It helps Wiltshire Police crack down on retail crime
Wiltshire Police have banned 14 repeat offenders from town centres and shops across the county in the last ten months.
It is after the Force introduced a specialist panel last November that focuses on tackling retail crime.
The panel can give out Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) to prolific shoplifters who also have a tendency of anti-social behaviour which keep them away from certain locations or give them a curfew.
Inspector David Tippetts, chair of the CBO panel, said: “Retail crime is not victimless. We’ve got shopworkers who are threatened and who feel vulnerable and feel unsafe when they go to work.
Our job is to protect the public from that type of behaviour. So, I really welcome the focus on it and the government’s drive around it. On a local perspective, it’s always been important to us and it will continue to be so.”
The panel is held in collaboration with Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council’s ASB and housing teams, the Integrated Offender Management Team, our Neighbourhood Harm Reduction Unit, Probation, Connect (Wiltshire’s drug and alcohol service), a Mental Health Advisor, and Youth Justice Service.
Referrals usually come from Police Officers who have repeatedly dealt with an individual and the panel then decides on the measures that will be taken to prevent any further criminal activity.
'We can be as flexible and creative as we want'
“Part of it is putting those restrictions in place because we’re saying to that person ‘Look, your behaviour is completely unacceptable and therefore you’re not allowed to go to this location or you’re not allowed in this area’ and that in itself could reduce offending”, Inspector Tippetts explained.
“We can also, if the courts allow it, put on positive requirements for them to attend such as appointments at drug and alcohol services. So, that’s putting into place more supportive measures as well.
“We can be as flexible and as creative as we want with the conditions depending on the nature of the offending.”
In Swindon, six prolific offenders have received CBOs restricting them from entering the town centre or certain shops in Old Town and Wichelstowe since last November – compared to only one active CBO in the borough before the panel was introduced.
Across Wiltshire, the number of CBOs has more than tripled, rising from six before last November to now 20 active CBOs.
Members of the public are being encouraged to let Wiltshire Police know if they spot someone in an area they are banned from.
“When we get the CBO we can publicise it and say ‘This individual is not allowed to do this because of what they’ve been doing’”, added Inspector Tippetts.
“So, if they are somewhere they’re not supposed to be, the public can phone in and say ‘I’ve seen this person, I know they’re not allowed to be there. Can you do something about it?’”
Wiltshire Police will need the date, time and place which will allow them to review CCTV footage of the area.
They will also take a statement from the witness.
If an offender is found to have breached their CBO, they will have to appear in court.