'No such thing' as a 'no-go' area in Shrewsbury, insists police inspector after councillor's claims
A police inspector has said suggestions the force has "pulled out" of an area described by its councillor as "one of the least safe in West Mercia" is "absolutely not true."
Inspector Saf Ali said Harlescott in Shrewsbury has a strong police presence, plans for dealing with cuckooing, and drug operations targeting criminals in the area. He also said there is "no such thing" as a "no-go" area in Shrewsbury.
His comments come after the ward's councillor Jeff Anderson told the region's new chief constable Pippa Mills of an occasion in 2018 when he accidentally knocked on the door of a drugs den and was intimidated by "20 thugs".
At a West Mercia Police and Crime Panel discussing Chief Constable Mills’s nomination, Councillor Anderson raised his concerns about Harlescott. “It’s something that’s got worse over the last 20 years and there’s no-go streets, literally," he said. "The police, I sense, have pulled out."
He also said his ward was “probably one of the least safe within West Mercia”, and the drugs trade was dragging it down.
“It’s one of the reasons why I stood; I want to try and improve things,” said Councillor Anderson.
But Inspector Ali, who felt Councillor Anderson's comments were not a fair reflection of the true situation, said he has since spoken to the recently-elected Conservative member for Harlescott, and made clear the work that is being done to keep the area safe. The two are planning to meet soon to discuss policing matters in Harlescott in more detail.
He said: "I've spoken to Councillor Anderson and he's fully aware of what we've done and what we're doing.
"My guys have got cuckooing plans and there are dedicated operations targeting county lines.
"We send the mobile police station into Harlescott so people can come and speak to us and raise their concerns. We have three PCs and two CSOs dedicated for Harlescott and they are carrying out stop and searches every day. I know because I see the data they come back with. We're getting an additional PC in the next couple of months for the area.
"We've moved a couple of groups out of Harlescott who were causing issues with drugs. There is a lot of work going on.
"We're doing a lot of work with Shrewsbury Academy. We have regular meetings with them to help them deal with any anti-social behaviour issues. We have a good relationship with them.
"The councillor has been invited to the mobile police station to speak to us."
