Town centre no go area for offenders

A WARRINGTON shopping centre will become a “no go” area for known offenders under a proactive initiative being launched today.
Officers from Warrington Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Unit (NPU)have joined forces with Golden Square Shopping Centre on the scheme to help reduce future crime.
A new ‘Exclusion Order’ scheme is being introduced, which will see known offenders, who have committed crime within the boundaries of the shopping centre, as identified by Cheshire Police, banned from Golden Square.
This is the latest joint initiative between the shopping centre and the NPU.
This campaign follows on from previous successful initiatives, which have helped to reduce crime significantly in the centre.
Golden Square manager Ian Cox said: “As a family orientated shopping centre ensuring customers have a positive experience at the centre is our top priority.
“By continuing our successful partnership with the Warrington Town Centre NPU through this ‘exclusion order’ we hope to ensure that our low crime figures stay low and continue to fall further, making Golden Square an even safer and more enjoyable environment for customers.”
The exclusion order’ will help Golden Square’s security staff exclude known offenders from the boundaries of the centre, which is private property, by using Common Law powers. Staff will be able to use this to exclude people who commit crime within the boundaries of the shopping centre, are behaving in an unruly manner or are not abiding by the centre’s rules from entering the centre for 12 months.
Sergeant Rob Horton of the NPU said: “Offenders committing crime within the boundary of the shopping centre, who are dealt with by Cheshire Police, will be issued with an ‘exclusion order’ by the Golden Square management team.
“We are committed to working alongside Golden Square on positive schemes such as this to help reduce crime levels even further by reducing opportunities for repeat offences and helping to support local businesses and residents.”
To support the scheme launch, officers from Warrington Town Centre NPU will be hosting special crime reduction events today and on Monday August 13 between 10am and 3pm at the Old Market Place.
Officers will be on hand to give shoppers valuable crime reduction and security advice as well as highlighting the new scheme. They will also be carrying out free bike marking at both events.