Business owners, Avon & Somerset Police, and Taunton Town Council gathered recently at Mr Miles Tearooms for a ‘Safer Streets Taunton’ meeting, organised by the Taunton Chamber of Commerce. The meeting, hosted by Colin Barrell, owner of Mr Miles Tearooms and Town Centre liaison on the Chamber’s Executive Committee, aimed to address business concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

Colin Barrell highlighted the need for a united approach, stating, “We have brought you all together to listen to concerns, increase communication and to strengthen relationships as we all strive to keep our town centre welcoming for visitors and businesses alike.”

Attendees heard from Regional Police & Crime Commissioner Clare Moody, senior Avon & Somerset Police personnel, and Taunton Town Council representatives. Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos joined via virtual link from Westminster, reinforcing his commitment to supporting town centre initiatives.

Discussions focused on challenges faced by businesses, improving stakeholder communication, and collaborative solutions. Local police also outlined the success of recent initiatives targeting youth violent crime and crime prevention during the festive shopping season.

Superintendent Lisa Simpson, Police Commander for Somerset, said, “We welcomed the opportunity to share, with our key partners and local businesses, what our policing teams are doing to tackle crime levels and anti-social behaviour in Taunton. We were also able to explain what we need from the community to identify offenders and progress prosecutions – that is, through increased reporting and high-quality CCTV submissions.