Swindon stabbings: New town wardens to be deployed

Four new street wardens are being deployed in a town to help reduce anti-social behaviour following a number of stabbings.

The Home Office has given Swindon Borough Council £142,000 to hire wardens, who will assist police in discouraging criminal activity and calming the public.
Rather than being able to make arrests, the wardens will serve as a “middle man between police and the public.”
Council bosses emphasized that the purpose of the wardens is to act as a deterrence.
The most recent stabbing incident that occurred in Swindon occurred earlier in June and left a 17-year-old lad in Upper Stratton with critical injuries.
In the days that followed, Wiltshire Police implemented several section 60 orders that gave them the authority to pull over and search anyone.

“When it comes to knife crime, we’re working closely with police,” stated Community Warden Supervisor Andy Small.We will endeavor to address low-level issues such as minors causing disturbance in certain stores, parking lots, or town centers, in addition to anti-social behavior.”
According to the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme, the wardens have specific authority to request information from people, including their name, address, and birthdate; it would be illegal for them to refuse to provide this information.
“We are not police officers, we don’t have the powers to arrest, that’s not what we’re here for,” Andy replied.
“We’re there as a deterrent and to point people towards support.”

Officers will initially be stationed mostly in the town centre, but they will also be sent to other locations as needed, according to Swindon Borough Council.
“The actual wardens are funded by the Home Office, but they work for Swindon Borough Council,” stated Councillor Jim Grant.Thus, we are able to use them. They are now stationed in the town center, but I hope that at some point they will be moved to patrol parks and council estates for the same reason.

In order to make Swindon as safe as possible, we are collaborating with them. People shouldn’t be excessively afraid to venture out in Swindon. Swindon is among the safest cities in the nation,” Mr. Grant continued.
“It’s vital that people who have trepidation about going out feel reassured.”