Wiltshire Police launch 'Safer Streets Summer' initiative

Communities across Wiltshire will benefit from a focused initiative aimed at enhancing safety and reducing crime in town centres across the county during the busier summer months.

Safer Streets Summer, which runs from this week until the end of September, focuses on reducing crime, particularly knife crime, tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB), and serious violence, while ensuring that town centres are welcoming and safe for all residents and visitors. 

The campaign will target key locations in Wiltshire that experience higher levels of anti-social behaviour, retail crime and potential public disorder during the summer months, like car meets, with extra efforts also being made to educate and enforce illegal e-scooter and e-bike use.  

Communities will also see extra patrols at transport hubs, support for youth engagement and a strong emphasis on transparency, with regular updates on patrol data, arrests, and outcomes. 

Additional hotspot patrols, increased visibility, and local policing efforts will be concentrated in Swindon, Salisbury, Chippenham, Trowbridge, and Marlborough. 

This summer focus is also backed by £1M from the Home Office’s Hotspot Response Fund – delivered via the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Wiltshire Police's actions have been informed by real-time crime data and community feedback, which directly informed the Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan Priority 3: Tackling crimes that matter to the local communities.  

Residents can expect to see:  

Increased patrols and greater visibility of officers 

• Police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in town centres 
• High-visibility patrols in 34 crime hotspots identified by recorded data 
• PCSO presence and mobile police stations to improve accessibility and reassurance 

Tougher action on crime and anti-social behaviour 

• Use of Community Protection Notices and Out of Court Resolutions 
• Crackdowns on repeat offenders and organised shoplifting 
• Visible enforcement of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) 

Smarter policing with technology 

• Deployment of mobile CCTV and facial recognition in known trouble spots 
• Hyper-local crime mapping to focus resources effectively 

Community-led safety initiatives 

• “Walk and Talk” sessions with residents, especially women, to improve safety 
• Community Payback projects in town centre areas joint action with local councils to tackle environmental issues like fly-tipping 
• Partnerships with businesses, including Safer Business Action Days and crime prevention advice for retailers 
• Increased collaboration with local authority enforcement teams, including joint patrols and vehicle stops, plus use of digital capability to support fly-tipping investigations
• Engagement stalls at summer events and festivals 

Safer nights out 

• Funded anti-social behaviour wardens and taxi marshals and safe spaces to protect vulnerable individuals 
• Partnership work with licensed venues to prevent drink spiking 
• Expansion of the “Ask for Angela” scheme 

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “Making our town centres safer is not just about more patrols – it is about listening to what communities want and acting upon it.  

“While the additional funding for this increased focus has come from Government, our approach is built upon engagement and feedback from communities who have been telling me since my election in 2021, they want greater police officer visibility and for Wiltshire Police to tackle the crimes that matter to their communities. 

“Over the last few years, we have seen Wiltshire Police increasingly delivering on this as they work to my Police and Crime Plan, improving their performance and delivery along the way.  

“Policing should have input from the communities it serves and we have listened to feedback from residents and businesses by investing in what works: visibility, partnership, and real consequences for those who cause harm.”