The Shropshire Star joined officers for a matchday to get an inside look at policing Shrewsbury Town games - starting with a briefing at the station.
The UK Football Policing League, which ranks sides based on the highest amount of arrests, violence and other incidents happening at games, places Salop 19th in League One.
"It was a bit of a perfect storm. But when we got hold of them, there were none of the social issues you would usually see with kids engaging in anti-social behaviour. They came from nice families, they were going to school. They were nice kids. It was just bizarre." They came up with the Stay On Side initiative, an intervention led by dedicated football officer and former Salop Centre of Excellence player PC Chris Rayment.
"It's about breaking the cycle," added Sgt Tozer,"We don't want them going down the route of the criminal justice system." We start the day at Monkmoor police station, where PC Rayment delivers a briefing to colleagues based in Shrewsbury, as well as Thames Valley Police officers with inside knowledge on the Chairboys' fans. This is where intelligence will be shared on areas of town to keep an eye on, any particular problem fans that could cause trouble and stadium logistics.
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