SHOPLIFTING crime in Wellington had not reached the levels experienced by some other towns thanks to work by the local neighbourhood policing team, councillors were told on Monday (September 1).

Neighbourhood policing Sgt Jon O’Connor said: “While many other towns have suffered with increases in shop theft during the summer months, I am pleased to report our patrols and ongoing work with retailers has meant Wellington has not suffered the same levels as seen elsewhere.”

Sgt O’Connor said a focus on Wellington town centre street drinkers was also continuing, highlighting how their behaviour could affect others and signposting people to more suitable places to drink alcohol.

He said consequently there had been a dramatic reduction in calls about the issue, but police were always monitoring the situation and would positively enforce any criminal offences and anti-social behaviour.

Sgt O’Connor told town councillors there had been a near-25 per cent reduction in total recorded crime in August against the same month last year, and falls in nearly all crime types.

He said: “We have been working hard with our partner agencies to tackle some of the long-standing neighbour disputes which were contributing to our levels of recorded violent crime, as mentioned last month.

“As we move into the new school term, we will look to get back into the schools to continue our early intervention work with young people and safeguard those most at risk of criminal behaviour or exploitation.

“Our beat surgeries at the new Kings Arms hub are now in full swing and we are open to any suggestions about how we can tailor these surgeries to ensure we are available and accessible to all.

“One option might be to have a specific youth drop-in where young people can speak with their local team to complement our school visits.”