A major Wiltshire Police operation to keep Swindon’s residents, shoppers and businesses safe in the run up to Christmas gets underway today with the launch of Operation Dasher.
Operation Dasher is a high visibility Swindon policing operation, with dedicated police officers, PCSOs and Special Constables on foot patrol every day in the Town Centre and Old Town until Christmas Eve. A police mobile unit and patrols will cover the five out of town shopping centres and officers in plain clothes will be deployed on covert patrols. The annual seasonal operation is supported by inSwindon Bid’s Street Team, Swindon Borough Council CCTV operators and store security staff.
Swindon Inspector David Tippetts said: “We want to reassure the public and business community by having a larger, visible presence at this busy time of year when we see a marked increase in shop lifting, opportunistic crimes like purse and bag thefts, and a risk of higher anti-social behaviour across the town.
“Working with our partners gives us a large resource of people to act as our eyes and ears to target and prevent crime across the town. We will be in constant radio contact to promptly respond to incidents, target persistent offenders and identify suspicious behaviour.
“We want people to feel safe, have fun and keep our town a pleasant place to visit, shop and work during the busy festive period and deter opportunistic thieves from committing crime,” Inspector Tippetts added.
Intelligence will be shared by all the partners at daily briefings to ensure officers can target key locations and individuals at the right time and place.
“Operation Dasher provides an increased presence and dedicated focus on policing the town centre at vital time when footfall increases,” said Di Powell, Chief Executive of inSwindonBID.
“High visibility and joint patrols with our Street Team provide a coordinated approach to tackle theft and anti-social behaviour using the BID’s crime prevention network to share information and intelligence.”
Councillor Cathy Martyn, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety, said: “I am delighted the Council is once again supporting this operation because it is vital we create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone who visits the Town Centre and Old Town.
“Our street cleansing teams will be working to keep the heart of our town clean and tidy, while our control room will monitor the CCTV cameras, working closely with the teams on the street. I would encourage everyone to come and use the shops, restaurants, cinema, museum and art gallery and other facilities as Swindon has so much to offer.”
Community policing in the town has recently been boosted by the opening of a temporary Community Policing Shop in the Brunel Centre, providing a central place for police officers to talk to the public and offer crime prevention advice in the run up to Christmas. The empty shop was offered at no cost by The Brunel Centre and inSwindon for a five week period from 19 November to 22 December.
Tips to avoid becoming a victim of crime when you are out and about during the Christmas period:
When out shopping, keep your purse and handbag with you; don’t leave it in your trolley or unattended
- Keep any cash you may have on you to a minimum
- Mobile phones and wallets in back pockets are a target – keep secure and out of sight
- Be careful at cash machines and when paying by card – shield your PIN at all times.
With more shoppers about, there are inevitably more vehicles in car parks, offering more opportunities for criminals.
Don’t let your vehicle be an easy target:
- Don’t leave Christmas presents or valuables like laptops, mobile phones, handbags, credit cards or cheque books in your car. If unavoidable – put them in the boot and ensure equipment is completely switched off
- Remove Satnavs, clean away suction marks on windows and make sure car doors, windows and sun roofs are all properly closed and locked
- Leave absolutely nothing on show – you may know that there is no wallet in your jacket, but a thief will break a window just to check.
- If you own a van, remove tools overnight and display an appropriate sign in the rear window making this clear.
If you are a victim of crime or want to report suspicious behaviour to police please call 999 or the non-emergency number on 101. Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
