Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner wants to 'make Salisbury safe'
Philip Wilkinson says early intervention is a priority
Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner says 'making people in Salisbury feel safe again' is his top priority.
Philip Wilkinson says he particularly wants to 'address the underlying causes of violence', following concerns about rising anti-social behaviour in the city.
He's been sharing his pledge after meeting with Salisbury City Councillors about crime fighting locally, and ahead of further talks this week.
Mr Wilkinson says he's keen to tackle the issue:
“Bringing together the police, local authorities and agencies, my Police and Crime Plan will provide the leadership and coordination to prevent and address the problems that blight our communities.
“My office is already working with partners across the county, including Wiltshire Council to develop a Safety at Night Charter bringing together all those in the late-night economy to ensure a safer night out can be had for all.
“It is very easy to say, and much harder to do in practice, but helping residents of Salisbury feel safe again will be top of my agenda.”
The push to step up efforts to improve safety in Salisbury comes after the fatal assault in New Canal a couple of weeks ago (Sunday 20th February).
Wiltshire's PCC, Philip Wilkinson says he wants to make a difference:
“There does seem to be a growing concern among residents in all different parts of Salisbury around crime and anti-social behaviour.
“I am determined to help and to push forward a multi-agency approach – only by looking at the causes, symptoms and consequences of anti-social behaviour and crime collectively – will we start to make a difference and only by working together can we make Wiltshire safer.”
Among the first ideas put forward by the PCC to improve safety include an increased police presence, extra CCTV cameras and better street lighting.
The Mayor of Salisbury, Councillor Caroline Corbin, who was present at the meeting, said:
“I would like to thank the Police and Crime Commissioner for coming to Salisbury to listen to our concerns and discuss ways of working together to improve safety in the City.
“There is a lot of good work already going on by many organisations across the city, including the Street Pastors and Pubwatch, and we need to build on this for the sake of all our residents.”