Police and Crime Commissioner Backs Collaborative Action to Make Salisbury Safer

Street drinking, retail crime and anti-social behaviour were some of the key issues discussed as Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, met with business representatives, council officials and outreach recovery workers at a specially held event in Salisbury city centre organised by Wiltshire Police.

A walkabout in the city centre was led by Inspector Laura Elliott from the Salisbury Neighbourhood Policing Team, and took the group through hotspot areas in the Maltings, Guildhall Square and Culver Street, where they talked about measures which had been taken to address the problems being reported to the police and local council.

Recently, anti-social behaviour wardens have returned to the city centre after a two-month hiatus, whilst anti-social behaviour hotspot funding has led to increased patrols by police officers.

During the walkabout, the group were shown where Safer Streets funding, obtained by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), had been used to provide security fencing at Salisbury Playhouse and had also been used to upgrade CCTV provision in the city.

Whilst visiting areas used by rough sleepers in the city’s car parks, the Police and Crime Commissioner heard about the services offered by Connect Wiltshire, which is jointly funded by the OPCC and Wiltshire Council.

Mr Wilkinson said:

“It is an absolute prerequisite that we get everybody together to tackle these wider issues and taking a comprehensive approach is absolutely fundamental to success.

“I’ve spoken frequently about the need to address the underlying causes of anti-social behaviour and street drinking and my office funds a raft of organisations to try and get into those social and economic conditions that cause people to behave in an anti-social manner.

“That requires a multi-agency approach and for us all to work together to make the city centre a safer place for everyone.”

Salisbury city centre has been subject to a Public Space Protection Order since May 2024, meaning police officers can approach people street-drinking in the city centre and ask them to stop drinking alcohol and to surrender anything believed to be an alcohol container.

Inspector Elliott recognises this as one of a number of approaches open to authorities to deal with anti-social behaviour:

"We are actively developing new approaches to better identify and monitor individuals who are repeatedly involved in anti-social behaviour (ASB) and street drinking within Salisbury. This work is being carried out alongside our partners, including the Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID) and Wiltshire Council’s ASB team." 

"We fully understand the disruption and concern that persistent ASB causes for residents, businesses and visitors. We are committed to tackling these issues in a proactive and joined-up way. Our officers continue to carry out high-visibility patrols in key hotspot areas, both to deter offending and to provide reassurance. At the same time, we are working to ensure that those who are vulnerable or in need of support are identified and directed towards the right services."

Later this year, a Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) will be introduced in Salisbury, which will closer working between the police, local authorities and local businesses.

Dan Collins is the Business Manager for Salisbury BID:

“It’s important that all partners are involved because these are such complex issues, we need to pool our resources to get the positive results we want for Salisbury.

“Seeing all these agencies working together gives our members a huge amount of confidence to report these issues because they can see the results in these emerging partnerships which will be cemented by the introduction of the BCRP.”

Anna Angel is the Crime Prevention Tactical Advisor, Neighbourhood Harm and Reduction at Wiltshire Police:

“Tackling issues like violence, anti-social behaviour, and vulnerability in the heart of Salisbury takes more than policing, it takes partnership.

“The walkabout today brought everyone together to see first-hand the spaces and the stories behind the data.

“When police, local authorities, health, charities, businesses, and community partners share one vision, we stop managing problems and start preventing them.

“That’s how we make Salisbury safer, not through enforcement alone, but through collaboration, compassion, and long-term problem solving."