Business Crime – driving down retail crime in Walsall town centre and bringing offenders to justice.

We are working hard together to tackle shoplifting and business crime especially in Walsall Town Centre. We are developing positive working relationships with retailers including security teams, market stall holders and our colleagues at Walsall Council. Our neighbourhood officers regularly work alongside businesses and trading-standers to support business crime prevention.

We have made five arrests over the last few weeks including one in which resulted in a woman being charged with 19 offences.

Shoplifting is a priority at Walsall LPA. We recently launched Op Marigold in a bid to tackle shoplifting across the Walsall borough. We are regularly patrolling in and around Walsall Town Centre have been visiting shops and businesses to hand out crime prevention leaflets and advice to staff to help keep them safe.

March 25 update:
We are working hard together to tackle shoplifting and business crime especially in Walsall Town Centre. We are developing positive working relationships with retailers including security teams, market stall holders and our colleagues at Walsall Council. Our neighbourhood officers regularly work alongside businesses and trading-standers to support business crime prevention. Any reported thefts from shops and stores are investigated by individual Neighbourhood Officers.

We are regularly patrolling in and around Walsall Town Centre have been visiting shops and businesses to and conducted a crime prevention crime drop in session at Walsall Library offering advice to members of the public to help keep them safe.
We have charged a man with shop thefts assaulting a police officer and possessing drugs following his arrest in Walsall Town Centre.
We know the frustration and impact of shop lifters on business and working in partnership with the Problem Solving Team we are working hard to apprehend people who carry out shop thefts.

Reducing Serious Youth Violence - Taking a firm stance on reducing violence involving young people in and around Walsall Town Centre.

We continue to be proactive and visible in our efforts to tackle serious youth violence in and around the town centre.

The team are regularly carrying out operations in the town centre to identify anyone carrying weapons and a knife arch has been deployed on two occasions assist with this.

We recently arrested and charged a man with possessing a knife in a public place in Walsall.

Educating young people on the dangers of carrying a knife is also one of our priorities and we have good relationships with local educational sites where we visit and speak to young people about staying safe.

MARCH 25 UPDATE:

When on patrol in Walsall town centre NHT officers regularly have been in discussions with members of the public and educating young people on the dangers of carrying a knife and knife crime.

We have good relationships with local educational sites where we visit and speak to young people about staying safe. We have been speaking directly with young people in schools and in residential homes about county lines, and how they can get help if they feel or a friend feels that they are being drawn into it. At Walsall College, the Protective Service students have been working with us and in partnership with Guardian Officers on issues relating to stop and search.

We have been visiting the addresses of known gang members.

Tackling alcohol and begging related ASB in Walsall Town Centre and surrounding area

Our officers, along with the support of other policing colleagues and Walsall Council Safety Officers continue to carry out daily patrols in and around the town centre targeting public place related anti-social behaviour and the people intent on committing crime.

We recently teamed up with our partners at WHG and Greensquare Accord and carried out joint patrols and visits to premises where there are current ASB issues such as tackling street drinkers, rough sleepers and drug activity.

We have also been visited addresses in Walsall to hand out anti-social behaviour (ASB) warning letters to individuals identified as causing issues.

Officers from St Matthews’s town centre team joined Walsall College StreetWatch group. The College’s Protective Service Students patrolled through the town centre where they engaged with members of the public. They were able to offer advice to peers on Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and report ASB issues appropriately. Another area we cover is Caldmore and StreetWatch volunteers where joined on a walk by St Matthew's officers. They carried out some good engagement with the community and report ASB issues appropriately.

MARCH 25 UPDATE:

Our officers, along with the support of other policing colleagues and Walsall Community Protection Officers from Walsall Council regularly carry out patrols in and around the town centre targeting and enforcing the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) relating to anti-social behaviour and the people intent on committing crime.

We recently teamed up with our partners at Greensquare Accord and carried out joint patrols and visits to premises where there are current ASB issues such as tackling street drinkers, rough sleepers and drug activity.

Officers from St Matthews’s town centre team have engaged with Walsall College StreetWatch group. The College’s Protective Service Students regularly patrol through the town centre and engage with members of the public and peers from the College. Other surrounding where we engaged with Streetwatch volunteers are Caldmore and Rushall Hall.

In The Butts we took part in a multi agency street briefing, highlighting current ASB issues that have been causing the local residents issues. We were able offer advice and reassurance to this community about ASB related issues.

Following reports of rough sleeps causing ASB in a warden controlled residential home in Chuckery, officers initially dealt with the individuals appropriately, and PCSO's have followed up with reassurance patrols in the location and surrounding area.