Column | PCC Mark Shelford – 21/11/2023

On Friday (17th November) I met with Councillor Hal MacFie who represents Keynsham East. We spoke about anti-social behaviour concerns and how this affects local retailers in Bath and North East Somerset.

This coincided with Respect for Shopworkers Week (13th – 19th November). The purpose of the week is to support retail workers and ensure the general public understands the key message that abuse is not part of the job.

I also met with an independent shop owner in Bath to hear more about their experience in this area.

I am keen to work together to help reduce retail crime in Bath and support workers in the sector.

I have convened a new national group the E-Scooter Safety Forum to discuss issues around micro mobility.

The first meeting was held earlier this month and I look forward to updating you with my progress on this.

Next week is Road Safety Week. Road safety is one of areas of focus in Priority One of my Police and Crime Plan and I’m very supportive of the work Avon and Somerset Police do in helping to reduce collisions and traffic accidents.

I am a member of my local Community Speedwatch group in Bath and regularly attend meet ups.

Community Speedwatch is a national initiative where members of local communities join with the support and supervision of their local police to record details of speeding vehicles using approved detection devices. Together we can help reduce speeding and improve road safety for everyone.

On Sunday I will be attending a special service in Bath to commemorate to remember people who have been killed on our roads.

Unfortunately, in 2023 we have had 47 road deaths across Avon and Somerset. As a community we must commit to tackling the ‘Fatal Five’ actions – not wearing a seatbelt using a phone, not paying attention, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and speeding.

As we approach the festive season, I would like to warn local people to take extra care when shopping online.

During the Black Friday and holiday sale events last year, almost £10 million was lost to criminals.

One common tactic used to defraud victims is the use of fake websites that are purporting to be reputable companies. These websites are created to look identical to the real website they are imitating and will advertise items but at a much cheaper price than retail price to entice victims.

In reality, these websites are fake and the victim will never receive the item they have paid for.

To protect yourself from fraud and cyber crime I advise that the public follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign:

Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.

Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

Protect: If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.