Gwent joins UK summer blitz on town centre crime and anti-social behaviour

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has launched a nationwide blitz on town centre crime and anti-social behaviour as part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change.

Gwent Police and local councils, supported by Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd, have joined forces to increase police patrols and local action in hotspot areas during the summer months.

Commissioner Mudd has also made additional funding available to local authorities to deliver community safety projects.

She said: “Residents should feel safe in their communities and be able to enjoy spending their time in town centres shopping and socialising this summer without the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour.

“By the police, local authorities and other partners working more closely together to focus on hotspot areas we can send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in our communities and ensure that our residents can enjoy a safer summer.”

Gwent Police’s new community action team will play a crucial part in delivering the initiative. The team is made up of 16 PCs, 10 PCSOs, and is led by two team sergeants and a dedicated inspector. It enables Gwent Police to put more officers on the ground in the areas that need them most.

Temporary Chief Superintendent Jason White, Head of Neighbourhood Policing at Gwent Police, and force lead for ASB said: "Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a priority for Gwent Police. ASB and associated disorder is completely unacceptable. It has a negative impact on the quality of life of our communities and it won’t be tolerated.

"Between April 2024 and the end of March 2025, we carried out an additional 7,000 hours of patrols in hotspot areas across Gwent, which led to an overall reduction in ASB. Our operational activity will increase throughout the summer and, as part of our ongoing commitment to address ASB, our officers will continue to carry out partnership work with councils and other organisations and agencies to ensure that all businesses and residents feel safe.

"When it comes to anti-social behaviour, we’re guided not only by information gathered though investigations and patrols, but by information the public has provided through their reports. That’s why it’s really important people affected by these issues come forward and talk to us.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “High streets and town centres are the very heart of our communities. Residents and businesses have the right to feel safe in their towns. But the last government left a surge in shop theft, street crime and anti-social behaviour which has left too many town centres feeling abandoned. 

“It’s time to turn this round, that’s why I have called on police forces and councils alike to work together to deliver a summer blitz on town centre crime to send a clear message to those people who bring misery to our towns that their crimes will no longer go unpunished.”