A TOWN IN CRISIS: THE TRAGIC DECLINE OF SWINDON By Father Paris Haines

Introduction: A Community Crying Out for Help

Swindon, once a proud railway town with a rich industrial heritage and a strong sense of community, has descended into a state of crisis that can no longer be ignored. What was once a place where families felt safe, where children could play in the streets without fear, and where neighbors looked out for one another, has become a shadow of its former self. The fabric of our community is being torn apart by an epidemic of drugs, a surge in crime that leaves residents living in fear, a police force so stretched and ineffective that many have given up calling for help, and a Labour Council that appears more interested in political posturing than addressing the very real suffering of the people they were elected to serve.

This is not hyperbole. This is not political point-scoring. This is the lived reality of thousands of Swindon residents who wake up each day wondering if their town will ever recover from the decline that has accelerated in recent years. The statistics are damning, the personal stories are heartbreaking, and the lack of meaningful action from those in power is nothing short of a betrayal of public trust.

The Drug Crisis: A 35.5% Surge in Drug Crime

The most alarming indicator of Swindon's decline is the explosion in drug-related crime. Between October 2024 and September 2025, Swindon recorded 1,000 drug crimes—a staggering 35.5% increase compared to the previous twelve-month period. Let that sink in: a more than one-third increase in drug offenses in just one year. This is not a minor uptick; this is a crisis spiraling out of control.

While some may point to the fact that Swindon's overall drug crime rate of 2.3 crimes per 1,000 people is below the national average, this statistic provides cold comfort to the families whose lives have been destroyed by addiction, to the parents who have lost children to overdoses, to the residents who can no longer walk through certain neighborhoods without encountering drug dealing in broad daylight, and to the business owners who find needles discarded outside their premises.

The Swindon Combating Drugs Partnership's own progress reports have acknowledged an increase in drug-related crimes, yet where is the visible, aggressive response this crisis demands? Where are the additional resources? Where is the coordinated strategy that treats this as the emergency it truly is? The answer, tragically, is nowhere to be found.

Our young people are particularly at risk. The Swindon Youth Justice Strategic Plan for 2024-2025 has identified youth crime, serious violence, and drug use as priority concerns. We are failing an entire generation of young people who are being drawn into a world of substance abuse and criminal activity because there are insufficient support services, inadequate youth programs, and a lack of positive opportunities. When children see drug dealing as a viable career path because legitimate opportunities seem out of reach, we have failed as a society.

The drug crisis in Swindon is not just about statistics—it is about real people suffering real consequences. It is about families torn apart, lives cut short, communities living in fear, and a future generation at risk. Yet the response from those in power has been woefully inadequate, characterized more by reports and strategic plans than by meaningful action that makes a tangible difference on our streets.

Crime and the Erosion of Community Safety

Beyond drugs, Swindon faces a broader crime problem that has left residents feeling vulnerable and abandoned. While official statistics may claim that Wiltshire and Swindon have the lowest overall crime rate in the country at 52.8 crimes per 1,000 people, these numbers tell only part of the story. Statistics can be manipulated, categorized, and presented in ways that obscure the reality of what people are experiencing on the ground.

Residents across Swindon report a palpable increase in anti-social behavior, theft, burglary, and violent crime. Shops are being targeted repeatedly by shoplifters who know there will be no consequences. Cars are being broken into with impunity. Public spaces that were once safe gathering places have become no-go areas after dark. Elderly residents are afraid to leave their homes. Parents are terrified to let their children play outside unsupervised.

The crime map for Swindon, covering incidents from January 2024 to September 2025, paints a picture of a town under siege. Certain neighborhoods have become hotspots where crime is concentrated, yet there appears to be no coordinated effort to flood these areas with police presence, to implement community-based interventions, or to address the root causes of criminal activity.

What makes this situation even more frustrating is the sense that many crimes are simply not being properly investigated or prosecuted. Residents report crimes and receive a crime reference number, but then hear nothing further. Cases are closed without anyone being held accountable. The message being sent to criminals is clear: you can operate in Swindon with minimal risk of facing consequences. This emboldens criminal elements and creates a vicious cycle where crime begets more crime.

The Policing Crisis: “What Is the Point of Calling the Police?”

Perhaps the most damning indictment of the current state of affairs in Swindon is the question that Labour Councillor Stanka Adamcova herself has acknowledged hearing repeatedly from residents: “What is the point of calling the police?” When citizens have lost faith in the very institution that is supposed to protect them, we have reached a critical juncture.

This crisis of confidence did not emerge from nowhere. In June 2022, Wiltshire Police—the force responsible for policing Swindon—was placed into special measures after Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services found it to be inadequate in responding to the public and protecting vulnerable people. Read that again: the police force responsible for our safety was officially deemed inadequate. This is not a matter of opinion; this is an official finding by the body responsible for inspecting police performance.

Since that damning assessment, residents have seen little evidence of meaningful improvement. Response times to emergency calls remain unacceptably long. Officers are rarely visible in neighborhoods, with community policing having been effectively abandoned in many areas. When crimes are reported, the response is often a crime reference number and little else. Victims of crime feel abandoned, left to deal with the aftermath of traumatic experiences with minimal support or follow-up.

The root cause of this policing crisis is clear: Wiltshire Police is understaffed, under-resourced, and overstretched. Officers are doing their best under impossible circumstances, but there simply are not enough of them to provide the level of service that communities deserve and need. The control room that handles emergency 999 and non-emergency 101 calls is overwhelmed, coordinating insufficient resources across both Swindon and Wiltshire.

Neighbourhood policing—the foundation of effective community safety—has been decimated. Residents no longer know their local officers. There is no consistent police presence that allows for the building of relationships, the gathering of intelligence, and the early intervention that prevents minor issues from escalating into serious crimes. The police have become a reactive force that responds to emergencies (when resources allow) rather than a proactive presence that prevents crime and builds community trust.

Councillor Adamcova has spoken about the need to rebuild trust and confidence in the police service and has prioritized effective neighbourhood policing to ensure officers are visible and accessible. These are laudable goals, but words without action are meaningless. Where is the funding for additional officers? Where is the strategic plan to restore neighbourhood policing? Where is the accountability for the continued inadequate performance of Wiltshire Police?

The Labour Council: A Failure of Leadership and Communication

When Labour took control of Swindon Borough Council, there was hope among some residents that new leadership might bring fresh ideas and a renewed focus on the issues that matter most to ordinary people. That hope has been systematically crushed by a council that appears more interested in internal politics, pay disputes, and development projects than in addressing the crime, drugs, and safety concerns that dominate conversations in every neighborhood.

The Local Government Association's peer review of the council was scathing in its criticism, particularly regarding community engagement.

The report found that the council struggled to work effectively with local groups and staff and had significant issues with how it used data. Labour leader Jim Robbins himself acknowledged that local groups found it hard to get meetings with the council and that the council was defensive when receiving feedback. He promised to create a Labour plan focused on engagement. Where is that plan? Where is the evidence of improved communication and collaboration with the community?

Instead of focusing on the priorities of residents, the Labour Council has been embroiled in damaging disputes with its own workforce. In early 2024, a third group of social workers—including Independent Reviewing Officers and Local Authority Designated Officers—voted to strike, joining emergency duty service staff and assistant team managers in industrial action. The core of the dispute is a pay and grading review that created a £6,000 pay gap between roles that were previously on the same grade, contradicting government guidance and undermining the authority of officers responsible for quality assurance.

This dispute is not merely an internal HR matter; it has direct implications for the safety and wellbeing of Swindon's most vulnerable residents. The council's children's services are currently rated as 'inadequate' by Ofsted, with specific criticism of the quality of care plans and the effectiveness of oversight. Industrial action by the very professionals responsible for safeguarding children is a crisis that demands immediate resolution, yet the council has been defensive and dismissive, claiming the pay review was necessary to keep pace with the market.

The message this sends is clear: the Labour Council is more concerned with balancing budgets and managing internal politics than with ensuring that vulnerable children receive the protection and care they deserve. This is a moral failure of the highest order.

Beyond the social worker disputes, the council has demonstrated a consistent pattern of poor communication with residents. Decisions are made behind closed doors with minimal consultation. When residents raise concerns, they are met with bureaucratic responses that fail to address the substance of their complaints. There is no sense that the council is listening to or prioritizing the voices of ordinary people who are struggling with the daily reality of living in a town in decline.

The council's proposal for a 700-home development has generated significant community concern, yet there appears to have been inadequate consultation about the impact this will have on already stretched infrastructure, services, and community resources. Where will the additional police officers come from to patrol these new developments? Where are the additional drug treatment services to support a growing population? Where is the investment in youth services to ensure that young people in these new communities have positive opportunities? These questions remain unanswered.

The Lack of Communication: A Council That Doesn't Listen

One of the most frustrating aspects of the current situation is the Labour Council's abysmal record on communication. Residents feel that their voices are not heard, their concerns are not taken seriously, and their experiences are dismissed or minimized by councillors and council officials who seem disconnected from the reality of life in Swindon's neighborhoods.

When residents attend council meetings to raise concerns about crime, drugs, or safety, they are often met with defensive responses, political deflection, or promises of action that never materialize. There is no genuine dialogue, no sense that the council is truly listening and willing to change course based on community feedback.

The council's communication strategy appears to consist primarily of press releases celebrating minor achievements while ignoring the major crises facing the town. Social media channels are used for self-promotion rather than genuine engagement with residents. Freedom of information requests are met with delays and obfuscation. Transparency is lacking at every level.

This communication failure extends to the council's relationship with partner agencies. The lack of coordination between the council, Wiltshire Police, health services, and community organizations means that efforts to address drugs, crime, and social issues are fragmented and ineffective. There is no sense of a unified strategy or shared purpose. Each agency operates in its own silo, duplicating efforts in some areas while leaving gaps in others.

Residents deserve better. They deserve a council that is accessible, responsive, and accountable. They deserve leaders who are willing to have difficult conversations, to acknowledge failures, and to work collaboratively with the community to find solutions. Instead, they have a Labour Council that seems more interested in protecting its own reputation than in confronting the harsh realities facing Swindon.

The Human Cost: Real People, Real Suffering

Behind every statistic, every crime report, every unanswered 999 call, there are real people whose lives have been profoundly affected by Swindon's decline. There are parents who have lost children to drug overdoses, their grief compounded by the knowledge that more could have been done to prevent these tragedies. There are elderly residents who have been burgled and no longer feel safe in homes they have lived in for decades. There are business owners who have seen their livelihoods threatened by repeated theft and vandalism, with no meaningful support from police or the council.

There are young people growing up in an environment where drug dealing and criminal activity are normalized, where positive role models are scarce, and where opportunities for education, employment, and personal development seem out of reach. There are families struggling with addiction, mental health issues, and poverty, unable to access the support services they desperately need because those services have been cut or are overwhelmed by demand.

There are police officers who joined the force to make a difference, who are working long hours under immense pressure, but who are hamstrung by inadequate resources and a system that seems designed to frustrate rather than facilitate effective policing. There are social workers, teachers, youth workers, and community volunteers who are doing their best to support vulnerable people, but who are exhausted, under-resourced, and increasingly demoralized by the lack of support from those in power.

These are the people who are paying the price for the failures of leadership, the lack of investment, and the absence of political will to confront Swindon's problems head-on. Their stories deserve to be heard, their suffering deserves to be acknowledged, and their needs deserve to be prioritized.

A Call to Action: Swindon Deserves Better

Swindon is at a crossroads. We can continue down the current path of decline, accepting that our town will become a place characterized by drugs, crime, fear, and despair. Or we can demand better from those in power and work together as a community to reclaim our town and build a future that our children can be proud of.

This will require courage, honesty, and a willingness to make difficult decisions. It will require the Labour Council to stop being defensive, to start listening to residents, and to prioritize the issues that matter most: safety, community wellbeing, and opportunity for all. It will require significant investment in policing, with a return to neighbourhood policing models that build trust and prevent crime. It will require a comprehensive strategy to tackle the drug crisis, including treatment services, enforcement, and education. It will require investment in young people, with youth services, education programs, and employment opportunities that provide alternatives to crime and drug use.

Most importantly, it will require genuine communication and collaboration between the council, police, community organizations, and residents. The top-down, defensive, and dismissive approach that has characterized recent years must be replaced with genuine partnership and shared ownership of solutions.

Residents of Swindon must also play their part. We must hold our elected representatives accountable, demanding answers and action rather than accepting excuses and deflection. We must engage with community organizations, support local initiatives, and look out for our neighbors. We must refuse to accept that decline is inevitable and insist that our town can and must do better.

To the Labour Council: the people of Swindon are watching, and they are losing patience. The time for reports, strategies, and empty promises is over. The time for action is now. Listen to your residents, acknowledge the scale of the problems we face, and demonstrate the leadership and commitment necessary to turn this town around. Your legacy will be defined not by the press releases you issue, but by the tangible improvements you deliver in the lives of ordinary people.

To Wiltshire Police: we understand the challenges you face, but inadequate performance is not acceptable. Work with the community to rebuild trust, prioritize neighbourhood policing, and demonstrate that calling the police is not a pointless exercise. Hold criminals accountable and show that there are consequences for those who prey on our community.

To the residents of Swindon: do not give up hope. Our town has faced challenges before and has overcome them. We have a proud history and a strong community spirit. By working together, by demanding better from those in power, and by supporting one another, we can reclaim our town and build a future worthy of Swindon's heritage.

The decline of Swindon is not inevitable. It is the result of choices made and actions not taken. Different choices and decisive action can reverse this decline. The question is whether those in power have the courage, the vision, and the commitment to do what is necessary. The people of Swindon are waiting for an answer.

Conclusion: A Town That Refuses to Be Forgotten

Swindon's story is not yet finished. We are a town with a rich history, a diverse community, and enormous potential. But that potential will remain unrealized unless we confront the harsh realities of our current situation with honesty, urgency, and determination.

The drug crisis that has seen a 35.5% increase in drug crimes in a single year is not an abstract problem—it is destroying lives and communities. The crime that leaves residents afraid in their own homes is not a statistical anomaly—it is a daily reality. The police force that has been deemed inadequate is not providing the protection people deserve. The Labour Council that promised engagement and action has delivered defensiveness and disappointment.

This statement is not written in a spirit of despair, but in a spirit of defiance. We refuse to accept that Swindon's best days are behind it. We refuse to accept that our children must grow up in a town characterized by drugs, crime, and fear. We refuse to accept that those in power can continue to fail us without consequence.

Swindon deserves better. Our residents deserve better. Our children deserve better. And we will not stop demanding better until those in power finally listen, finally act, and finally deliver the change that our town so desperately needs.

The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now. Swindon is watching, Swindon is waiting, and Swindon will not be silent any longer.

By Father Paris Haines