POLICE outlined their plans to crack down on retail crime in Salisbury at the city's first annual security forum, held at the Guildhall on Thursday evening.
Chief superintendent Doug Downing and police and crime commissioner Philip Wilkinson spoke about improvements the force has made since it emerged from special measures this year and its plans to drive down crimes against businesses.
The number of shoplifting offences reported to Wiltshire Police has fallen by 11 per cent in the past year – but the force says there is still more to do.
But some business owners and councillors raised concerns at the forum, particularly around repeat offenders and the behaviour of recreational drug users.
Chief superintendent Downing said: “Wiltshire Police as an organisation has been on an improvement journey. We are not out of the woods, and we’re not done.
“I believe that we can push the boundaries and provide much better outcomes of investigations for our retailers.”
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Mr Downing said the force's primary aim is preventing crime before it happens by working in collaboration with councils, housing workers and drug and alcohol support services – but the force is not afraid to put offenders in front of judges and magistrates.
He added: “We’ve invested in preventative activity over our previous approach, which was much more response based.
“We’ve recognised that retailers are the backbone of our communities.”
“We’re absolutely committed to improving in this area, and we’ve reached out to other forces to further improve our approach to retail crime,” he said.
“I’m really positive about improvements in this space, but our work is not done.”
Speaking about the force's improvements over the last two years, Mr Wilkinson said: “We’re being much more proactive now then we were before, when we were reactive.
“Wiltshire Police has improved significantly but don’t think we’re being complacent.
“We will not be content until we are outstanding police force. It’s a pretty good picture now, but we’re going to make it a lot better.”
The event, organised by Byron Logue from Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Enigma Security, allowed businesses to test out the latest security technology, ranging from bullet-proof vests to CCTV cameras, and network.
Paul Howe, managing director of Venture Security, and Andy Tamkus, managing director of Amesbury-based electronic security firm EVOTEC, also spoke.
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