Crimes going unreported as residents become dispirited by 'lack of police response'

A high-powered panel of politicians and police - including the top officer in Shropshire - was given a grilling by members of the public in Oswestry who were keen to let off steam at a special community meeting.

Adele Nightingale, the manager of Oswestry's Business Improvement District, said: "Businesses are way under-reporting the number of crimes.

"One national retailer in the town suffers £500 a week being taken off the shelves when people take out bags of goods. Police are given names, CCTV footage, and there are crime reference numbers but there is often no response.

"What is the point of reporting crime if you don't get a police officer. There are just not enough police officers on the streets."

She added that she is encouraging local businesses to continue to report incidents but it had taken four years to give one particular nuisance individual criminal behaviour order.

Supt Stuart Bill, who is the top officer in Shropshire, said the force has a number of challenges involving delays in the criminal justice system. But he said that the criminal behaviour order is "pending".

Supt Bill added: "You are right to keep encouraging people to report crime."

And John Campion, the political head of the West Mercia Police, told the meeting at the Guildhall that: "The only surefire way not to get things done is not to report it.

"We are never going to have an officer on every street corner."

The meeting was told that the 2,500 police officers in West Mercia puts numbers at an all time high, and more resources are being planned for community teams.

Another business owner spoke of a gang of men "not from this country" who are cleverly going around town stealing things.

"It's not safe to come to shop in Oswestry," she said.

The meeting was called following a residents gathering before Christmas in which north Shropshire MP Helen Morgan was told about concern over anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, drugs.

There is, she told the meeting concern about "repeat offending by well known individuals" and even incidents involving people throwing tiles off roofs.

Ms Morgan said she is hearing similar concerns from across north Shropshire. She said one role of the meeting was for her to hear issues and ask the right questions in Parliament.

"The impression I get is that a greater visibility of police in town would make people feel safer and deter some of the behaviour involving drugs and vandalism," she said. She added that this would be especially the case at night.

Mr Campion insisted that "crime is low" and the police are trusted in the area but acknowledged there is more work to do.

He says police resources are being split between the overlapping issues of drugs gangs operating out of the big cities, community policing and in tackling online crimes which hit a vast number of victims.

"Dixon of Dock Green never really existed and that us not what we need to keep safe. As well as online crimes, issues like domestic violence take place behind closed doors."

Supt Bill said police "only have so many tools in the toolbox" to be able to deal with issues like anti-social behaviour. They rely on working with people including private landlords over eviction issues.

He added: "I would never say crime is not a problem, we need to do better."

A 36 year old ex forces man handed over a kitchen knife he had picked up in the town near his home. He told the meeting he feels "unsafe".

"What are you going to do to increase the chance of people being reprimanded," he asked.

PCC John Campion said issues of crime were a "challenge for society" but the police on their own "can't stop all of it" but "will play our part to make enforcement as fair as it can be."

And in response to one member of the public's concerns, PCC John Campion said the force had "clearly failed" to let the victim know what had happened. But he said this needs to happen and when it fails they need to know so the force could learn.

Officers promised to talk to members of the public after the meeting about their individual issues.