Gwent communities to benefit from crime prevention money

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent has received £699,564 from the Home Office to fund crime prevention measures in Pillgwenlly in Newport and Rhymney in Caerphilly. 

The money from the Safer Streets fund will be help to tackle the most common crime types of burglary, robbery, theft from a person and vehicle crime.

This includes distributing improved home security measures such as padlocks and sensors to homes, and installing doorbell CCTV cameras to hundreds of properties in the area.

Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert said: “This is fantastic news and represents the result of many months of partnership work between my office, Gwent Police and the local authorities.

“The funding will be used to run two targeted crime prevention initiatives in Pillgwenlly in Newport and Rhymney in Caerphilly, building on existing work in these areas to prevent crime and keep our communities safe.”

Gwent Police’s ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ team will play a key part in the project.

The team will be installing signage with the aim of deterring criminals from committing offences in the first place and handing out SmartWater and UV pens to allow residents to forensically mark their possessions in the event of a robbery or theft.

Further measures include speaking to second-hand retailers who may come into contact with stolen items that are intended to be sold onto the public.

Deputy chief constable Amanda Blakeman said: “We want all our communities to feel safe in the areas in which they live.

“All crime has a negative impact on the public so any measures we can take to tackle these issues and make people feel less fearful of crime is a step in the right direction.

“The tactics we will be using, led by our We Don’t Buy Crime team, are not only designed to prevent and reduce crime but also help people change their approach to keep themselves, their loved ones and their cherished items safe.”