Police boss to face questions at Oswestry public meeting
Shropshire police and crime commissioner John Campion is to attend a public meeting in Oswestry later this month.
Mr Campion will answer residents’ questions at the Wynnstay on February 18. The meeting has been organised by a neighbourhood watch group.
Last week residents of eastern Oswestry packed into a meeting of the local watch group to voice their concerns about vandalism and general nuisance behaviour in the area.
Police representatives and councillors were on hand to talk through the problems.
The Neighbourhood Watch group was set up by two residents a few months ago after an increase in anti-social behaviour.
One of the councillors at the meeting was Clare Aspinall. She urged people to attend the meeting on February 18 when Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion will attend to hear the problems Oswestry has experienced over recent weeks.
“There are a small number of young people in Oswestry who are causing a great deal of upset,” she said.
“After concerns were raised we were able to get Oswestry’s mobile CCTV camera installed by the Cabin Lane shops where much of the vandalism was occurring.
“It does seem to have improved the situation but of course it could have just moved the problem.”
She said that is was now hoped that funding could be found for a permanent camera in the area and praised the Neighbourhood Watch group for its hard work.
“This is a great example of the local community, the police and the local council working together to look at ways that anti-social behaviour can be dealt with.”
The councillor also praised local police officers for attending the last meeting and for increasing patrols in eastern Oswestry.
“We were told that there are 12 officers for the Safer Neighbourhood Team which sounds a lot but that is to cover a wide area,” Councillor Aspinall said.
“The other problem that was raised is that Oswestry does not have a police station that has a front desk. That could be something that is raised at the public meeting at the Wynnstay.”
Police officers at the meeting said that they were keen to pass on individual contact numbers for the members of the Safer Neighbourhood team and that these were available on the West Mercia Police website. There was also an intercom on the front door of the police station and members of the public could also use the Crimestoppers number 0800 555111.
