Business owners in Salisbury have praised the success of new measures designed to tackle street drinking and reduce anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
Earlier this year, Wiltshire Council introduced a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), granting police officers the authority to address instances of street drinking.
Since its implementation, 13 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) of £100 have been issued to individuals caught drinking in public spaces.
The PSPO allows officers to approach anyone drinking alcohol in the designated city centre area, asking them to stop and surrender any alcohol they are carrying.
According to Dan Collins, operations manager at Salisbury BID, the presence of the PSPO has already had a noticeable impact.
Dan Collins, Salisbury BID operations manager said: “The ability to address issues like street drinking has made an immediate difference, with the very presence of these powers now acting as a strong deterrent.”
Councillor Dominic Muns, cabinet member for environment, expressed satisfaction with the early results of the order.
“We are pleased to hear that the Salisbury business owners feel that the PSPO is making a difference in the local community,” he said.
“The decision to put a Public Spaces Protection Order is not ever done lightly, but in this instance the feedback we received deemed it necessary, and we are glad that it is working to both act as a deterrent to the anti-social behaviour and also to give the police the required powers to act further where necessary.”
Insp Tina Osborn from the Salisbury community policing team highlighted the benefits of the PSPO, stating: “The implementation of the PSPO has enabled officers to deal positively with individuals who continually choose to breach this order.
“We know that anti-social behaviour can have devastating impacts on communities and individuals if left untackled.”
