A NEW ‘Business Watch’ scheme is being developed on the West Wilts Trading Estate to tackle an increase in criminal activity.
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Hannah Jamieson is putting the scheme together and building a database of contacts in response to recent incidents, which include fuel and metal thefts.
She explains, “Units with fuel and scrap metal are being targeted because those things are easy to shift at the moment. We had quite a large fire a couple of months ago, and a small fire more recently.
“We’re based on the idea of a Neighbourhood Watch, with a police contact and a way of passing information quickly to the businesses.
“I’ve been ringing round the businesses and the response has been positive.
“It’s an information sharing exercise, and it’s in the hope we can make businesses more aware – a lot weren’t aware of an increase in criminal activity on the trading estate. With the police working with CCTV and local businesses, it works as a deterrent and builds up a rapport.”
If you are a business on the West Wilts Trading Estate and would like to be involved in the scheme then please contact Wiltshire Police on 101 and ask for PCSO Hannah Jamieson.
