£14,000 of stolen goods returned to Shrewsbury shops in crackdown on bad behaviour
More than £14,500 worth of stolen goods was confiscated from thieves and returned to shops in a matter of weeks - as authorities aim to crack down on bad behaviour in Shrewsbury town centre.
Team Shrewsbury's latest report on anti-social behaviour and crime revealed that town centre rangers seized thousands of pounds worth of stolen goods in May, June and July.
Shrewsbury Town Council is also launching an anti-social behaviour (ASB) taskforce to tackle criminal behaviour, with the first meeting due to take place this week.
The crime statistics show there were more than 700 anti-social behaviour incidents related to rough sleepers in the the town centre over those three months. There were around 200 incidents of congregation and around 175 alcohol-related incidents.
There were also incidents of violence against women and girls, drug dealing and people urinating or defacating.
The report states: "Compared to the last month a number of issues have increased, however there are no significant changes over the months.
"During May to July – approximately £14,500 worth of items have been returned to the shops by town rangers.
"Following recent levels of ASB within the Town Centre, a Task Force Group has been set up with lead agencies. This partnership will be a subgroup of Team Shrewsbury as part of the broader Shropshire Community Safety arrangements."
Shropshire Council recently adopted the variations to the town centre's public space protection or for implementation from August 1, 2023 for a further three years. Prohibitions include:
• No person shall urinate or defecate in a public area not being a facility intended for such use.
• No person shall, for any duration of time, leave unattended in a public area any personal effects or belongings or any other material or paraphernalia including anything that may be considered discarded or waste material.
• No person shall refuse to stop drinking alcohol or hand over any containers (sealed or unsealed) which are believed to contain alcohol, when required to do so by an authorised officer, provided that officer has reason to believe that that person is causing or likely to cause nuisance, alarm, harassment or distress to any other person.
• No person, who is sitting or lying on any footpath or pedestrian area or in any fire escape, stairway or other entrance or exit to any premises within the protected area, shall refuse to move when required to do so by an authorised officer, provided that officer has reason to believe that that person is causing or likely to cause nuisance, alarm, harassment or distress to any other person.
• No person shall refuse to leave a public toilet when required to do so by an authorised officer, provided that officer has reason to believe that that person is causing or likely to cause nuisance, alarm, harassment or distress to any other person.
• No person shall refuse to stop using a device intended to amplify sound when required to do so by an authorised officer, provided that officer has reason to believe that that person is causing or likely to cause nuisance, alarm, harassment or distress to any other person.
• No person shall refuse to disperse from a public area and not to return to that public area for 48 hours which required to do so by an authorised officer, provided that officer has reason to believe that that person is causing or likely to cause nuisance, alarm, harassment or distress to any other person.
The report will go before Shrewsbury Town Council this Wednesday.
