Wiltshire Police has launched its annual festive crackdown on antisocial behaviour and retail crime as the Christmas shopping season gets underway.
Op Dasher — the force’s month-long, high-visibility neighbourhood policing operation — began today and will run throughout December, targeting shoplifting, nuisance behaviour and crime in Swindon town centre and at busy out-of-town retail parks.
Officers will be working closely with partners including Community Street Wardens, Swindon Borough Council’s CCTV team, Pubwatch and store security to share intelligence, co-ordinate patrols and issue Section 35 dispersal orders where needed. The powers allow police to remove individuals causing harassment, alarm or distress from specific areas.
The operation began with an early arrest: a 25-year-old man was taken into custody this morning on recall to prison.
Inspector David Tippetts of Swindon Neighbourhood Policing said:
“We know the Christmas period brings increased footfall in the town centre, and with it a higher risk of crime and anti-social behaviour.
Op Dasher is in place each year to counter this and to offer reassurance to the public and business community.
We’ll be meeting daily with our partners to share information, keep offenders off the streets and ensure local businesses and shoppers aren’t impacted by criminal behaviour.”
He added that public reports remain crucial:
“The public are our eyes and ears — if you see anything suspicious, speak to an officer on patrol or call 101.”
