Commissioner Pledges Tough Action on Shirley Crime Wave

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has vowed to take “tough measures” to halt a five-month spree of crime and intimidation targeting shop owners in Shirley.

Meeting this week with local business owners, Southampton City Council representatives, and police officers, the Commissioner heard accounts of threats of violence, racial abuse, theft, and criminal damage allegedly carried out by a group of young people. Traders said they have been forced to close early on multiple occasions, losing tens of thousands of pounds in revenue and leaving staff with reduced pay.

“This must stop now,” Donna Jones said. “These business owners have suffered for too long. They are afraid to come into work and they are losing money every day. It is completely unacceptable that they have been allowed to experience this amount of crime for this length of time.”

The Commissioner, who said she was only made aware of the full extent of the problem two weeks ago, announced a package of immediate measures:
• Extra CCTV coverage along the high street.
• Security guards to patrol during core trading hours.
• Increased police patrols in the precinct.

She also instructed officers to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure offenders face prosecution, noting the “levels of harm and organised criminality” involved.

“These business owners need a break,” Jones added. “They just want to open their store and support their family without fear of violence or intimidation. That isn’t a lot to ask.”

Councillor Alex Winning, Leader of Southampton City Council and ward councillor for Shirley, described the situation as “utterly abhorrent” and welcomed the Commissioner’s intervention.

“It was shocking to hear first-hand what businesses have gone through,” Cllr Winning said. “Shirley has always been a welcoming place, and it should be welcoming for everyone. The funding offered is whole-heartedly welcome and I hope goes someway to reassure business owners that they are valued and that this is being taken very seriously.”

The Council pledged to work with police and the Commissioner to tackle the problem in partnership, with a review of progress planned in the coming weeks.