WIMBORNE BID, as the representative voice of local businesses, is working proactively in partnership with Dorset Police and Wimborne Minster Town Council to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

This co-ordinated effort aims to create a safer, more resilient town—making Wimborne a secure and welcoming place to shop, work, and visit.

As part of Dorset Police’s hotspot policing initiative, there will be increased collaboration between public services and local businesses.

At the heart of this collaboration is a digital “Town Watch” radio system, seed funded through a one-off £5,000 grant awarded by Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), David Sidwick with continuing funding from Wimborne BID.

The upgraded radio network, supplied by JS Communications in Poole, and organised by Wimborne BID, allows businesses to quickly and directly share live intelligence about suspicious activity, significantly boosting local crime prevention.

Dorset PCC David Sidwick said: “I have been actively addressing the issue of shoplifting in Dorset since I became the PCC in 2021 – indeed witnessing an incident of shoplifting was one of the reasons I originally stood for election.

“As PCC, I know the positive impact strong partnerships can have and therefore I am delighted to support and partner with Wimborne BID on this initiative as we all work towards driving down shoplifting and crime throughout Dorset, ensuring our area remains one of the safest in the country.”

This development complements Dorset Police’s Operation Shopkeeper, which has targeted high-harm, repeat offenders across the county.

In the past year alone, the initiative has resulted in 696 positive outcomes for victims and targeted 32 prolific perpetrators.

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Wimborne BID’s commitment to supporting anti-crime initiatives aligns with the wider Dorset Safer Business Partnership (DSBP), which brings together law enforcement and local business lead representatives to collaborate on crime reporting, crime prevention, cyber security, engagement and visibility.

The town, extending to Leigh Park area, has 20 state-of-the-art CCTV surveillance cameras and a CCTV hub in the former Wimborne police station, which transmits live feeds to the police CCTV headquarters in Dorchester.

During large-scale events in Wimborne, the cameras are also manned by volunteers on site in Wimborne.

Wimborne BID director Zabir Ali Picture: Wimborne BID

Wimborne BID director, Zabir Ali, said: “A tremendous amount of work and collaboration happens behind the scenes to deliver a united response to crime and anti-social behaviour in our town. Shop theft continues to have a serious impact on local businesses and must be treated with urgency.

“As a BID, we’re actively driving initiatives and pushing for improvements in police services and reporting procedures in Wimborne. We’re currently working with Dorset Police to streamline the process of reporting crime, making it quicker and easier for our business community.

“Wimborne is leading by example—demonstrating how proactive partnerships can build safer, more connected and resilient communities.”

Councillor Jeff Hart, Mayor of Wimborne said: “A lot of towns the size of Wimborne may only have three or four cameras. We’re in a strong position. We’re hoping to install two more cameras in Crown Mead and Redcotts, where anti-social behaviour has been reported.”

He added: “Our aim is twofold – to improve public safety and security as well as increase evidence to prosecute offenders.”

The upgraded radio network has been supplied by JS Communications in Poole.