Partnership works boosts winter safety in city centre

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd has worked with the police, local council and business community to boost safety in Newport city centre this winter.

Throughout December and January, Gwent Police and Newport City Council have increased visible patrols in the city centre to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. They have also worked more closely with businesses to address increased instances of shoplifting and theft.

The partnership work forms part of the Home Office’s Winter of Action and builds on the Safer Streets Summer initiative, which resulted in more than 16,000 arrests and fines across the UK for crimes such as shoplifting and antisocial behaviour.

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd said: “December into January is a very busy period for our town and city centres, and it is essential that we work together with partners to protect businesses and their staff, while also keeping our residents safe.

“When public services work more closely together to focus their efforts on hotspot areas, we can send a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated in our communities.”

Commissioner Mudd also invested more than £6,000 to support extra community enforcement officer patrols and provide additional Night Ambassadors to help keep people enjoying Newport’s night-time economy safe.

Night Ambassadors are on duty from 8pm to 4am every Friday and Saturday, providing a high‑visibility presence in the city centre, offering reassurance and advice, with a particular focus on the safety of women and girls.

Council Leader Dimitri Batrouni said: "We are seeing increasing numbers of people coming into the city centre and we want to make sure they all have a safe and enjoyable time, particularly at night. The extra patrols have provided that visible reassurance to those wanting to have a good time at our night-time venues and a warning to others that antisocial and inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with quickly. 

"Its also pleasing that work has been done with local businesses to crackdown on shoplifting and thefts. These are not victimless or minor crimes, they can have a significant impact on livelihoods and the wellbeing of owners and their employees."

As part of the winter campaign, Gwent Police is encouraging residents to sign up to Neighbourhood Matters, a new portal that allows people to receive updates on issues in their area and report intelligence to the police.

Sergeant Paul Turner, from Newport Central neighbourhood policing team, said: "I want to reassure all residents, businesses, staff and visitors that we’re working together with our partners to make life better in Newport city centre for everyone.

"Newport city centre has four hot-spot areas in Operation Lockwood, a Home Office-funded initiative set-up to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime.

"Our latest figures show that the number of reported commercial burglaries in the city centre has fallen by 18.3% in the current financial year to date compared to the previous year, while reports of violence with injury offences have dropped by 9.5% over the same timeframe.

“We remain committed to working closely with Newport City Council in addressing street drinking and other concerns, such as the illegal use of e-scooters, through local authority public space protection orders (PSPOs), and licensees in the Newport City Centre PubWatch scheme, as part of Safer Newport, to support the night-time economy.

“If you see any unusual activity or criminal behaviour in Newport city centre, please continue to report it to us via our website, call us on 101 or direct message us on our Facebook or X social media pages. In an emergency, always dial 999."