Town centre boss backs Safer Burton campaign
THE manager of Burton town centre has become the latest figure to back the Mail’s Safer Burton campaign — aimed at cracking down on crime in the area.
Paul Howard has pledged his support for the crusade and said a safer town would benefit everyone.
He says the campaign could be the ‘start of something big for Burton’ by drawing in new partnerships to tackle crime together.
Mr Howard told the Mail: “Both Town Centre Management and the Pubwatch group can be counted on as staunch supporters of this campaign and I personally look forward to playing a part in ensuring a Safer Burton for all our visitors and businesses.
“The first priority of the campaign, and rightly so, is tackling knife crime — but there are many other issues that Safer Burton can promote.
“A safer town benefits us all whether that be night time businesses — which receive a boost in trade due to improved public perceptions of safety — or the vast majority of people who just want to go for a safe night out in their own town.
“I would like to see an increase in the number of people enjoying our town centre at night and strongly believe that the Safer Burton campaign could play a big part in helping to achieve this.”
Mr Howard said that Burton Town Centre Management had already stepped up security and introduced new safety measures following the killing of 21-year-old, Connor Upton in June 2010.
He added: “The measures carried out through Pubwatch include issuing venues with hand-held metal detectors funded through the joint operations group of East Staffordshire Borough Council.
“We have also expanded the scope of the exclusion scheme to include an automatic 12-month ban for anyone caught trying to bring a weapon into one of our member premises.
“Knife crime is not a big problem in Burton town centre, quite far from it, but it has been said before by many that one death due to a knife is one too many.
“We certainly do not want any other family to have to go through the heartache and turmoil that Yvonne Upton and her family went through.”
Safer Burton already has the backing of Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, Burton MP Andrew Griffiths, Yvonne Upton, police and has cross-party support from locally elected councillors.
