Winchester city centre crime falling, says police (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Winchester city centre crime falling, says police

3:33pm Friday 19th October 2012 in Winchester By Joseph Curtis

Winchester police are cutting down on city centre crime according to new figures.

A Winchester Business Improvement District Shopwatch meeting yesterday heard there were fewer street offences in September than in the same period in 2011.

Between September 3 and October 2, 2012, there were 16 assaults compared with 20 last year, 25 shoplifting incidents leading to 20 arrests, down from 22 and 14 respectively, and 11 fewer cases of anti-social behaviour at 50.

But police warned retailers to beware pickpockets stealing credit cards in the area.

PCSO Daniel Platt said: “What usually happens is one person will act as lookout or distract staff and the other will act.

“Looking back on it you realise how close up they actually get to you and how strange behaviour it is. We would really like to find these guys so we want people to keep an eye out for them.”

PCSO Alex Wallace added the police were keen to crack down on criminal damage too.

He said: “We are trying to collect evidence on damage to properties at night and if you think you’ve had any criminal damage just call us.”

Shopwatch is a crime reduction project where retailers and police warn each other of people acting suspiciously via radios.