Gwent Police launches campaign to crack down on town centre crime
Police officers across Gwent have launched winter operations to tackle seasonal town centre crimes such as shop thefts, anti-social behaviour, road offences, and issues linked to the night-time economy
Police officers across Gwent have launched winter operations to tackle seasonal town centre crimes such as shop thefts, anti-social behaviour, road offences, and issues linked to the night-time economy.
The measures include additional patrols in hotspot areas in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Torfaen, Newport, and Monmouthshire as part of Operation Lockwood.
The Community Action Team has also reported success in reducing theft in retail parks and town centres:
Chief Superintendent Jason White, Gwent Police’s neighbourhood policing lead, highlighted the importance of visible enforcement and partnerships.
He said: “Both our chief constable and police and crime commissioner are united in their commitment to increasing visible policing in our neighbourhoods, which has been evidenced by the creation of a new proactive policing team, an increase in patrols in hotspot areas and continued work with partners to tackle the issues our communities say are affecting them.
“The recent introduction of a new community messaging service – Neighbourhood Matters – is helping to improve our knowledge of local issues and ensure our officers are where residents need us most, while the delivery of a crime prevention programme is helping residents and businesspeople alike protect themselves from acquisitive crimes like burglary and theft.”
Winter of Action builds on the Safer Streets Summer program...
... which ran earlier in 650 town centres nationwide and saw over 16,000 arrests and fines for crimes like shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
Neighbourhood policing teams across Gwent are now targeting emerging trends, with officers carrying out bespoke operations in each area.
In Blackwood, police are patrolling the high street in plain clothes and uniform, leading to multiple stop searches, bike and e-scooter confiscations, and arrests so far.
At Newport Retail Park, a 34-year-old man from Monmouth was recently arrested on suspicion of shop theft and going equipped for theft as part of focused patrols in the area.
“With offences like parcel thefts, thefts from vehicles and shoplifting increasing this time of year, our We Don’t Buy Crime team has also been out across Gwent delivering an array of crime prevention sessions to help people protect their vehicles, tools and belongings,” Ch Supt White said.
Updates on the Winter of Action program will be shared across Gwent Police’s social media accounts under #OpSouthPole.