Newport sees big fall in city centre crime and disorder

Anti-social behaviour dropped by a quarter in 2011/12 compared to 2010/11, from 2,239 to 1,694, and overall crime fell from 3,258 to 3,012.

The trend continued this financial year, with figures from the first quarter showing drops across the board.

Overall crime fell from 766 incidents between April and June last year to 495 cases in the same period this year.

Cases of serious violence fell from 16 to four, a 75 per cent drop, theft and handling fell by a third from 261 to 176 and other violent offences dropped by 63 per cent – from 110 last year to 40 this year.

Cases of anti-social behaviour fell from 476 to 263, a drop of almost 45 per cent.

Police in Newport say the way they tackle crime, as well as working alongside businesses and traders, the council, and Street Pastors among others means they are able to tackle the root cause of problems.

Inspector Bob Thompson, who is responsible for the city centre, said police hold weekly meetings with these partners to establish any problems which have sprung up.

If a certain shop or shops in a street have suffered a spate of shoplifting, they will make sure to put police on patrol in that area. If problems with anti-social behaviour are cropping up at certain times of the day, they will make sure they have the proper staffing to deal with it.

Orders including Drinking Banning Orders (DBO) and Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Crasbo) have also been imposed on repeated offenders to curtail their behaviour.

Earlier this year, Abigail Sicolo, 32, from Ringland, was banned from every shop in the city centre until March 2015 after a spate of shoplifting convictions following her 30th shoplifting conviction in just over a year.

Ms Sicolo, of Howe Circle, was handed a Crasbo which could see her given five years in prison for breaching it.

Ryan Hiscocks, 19, of Ringwood Hill, Ringland, was slapped with a Drinking Banning Order, banning him from all pubs, bars, clubs and off-licences in the city until November 2013 after he attacked a woman on September 21 in the city centre while he was drunk.

He faces a £2,500 fine for breaching the order.

Police and the council can also work together to suspend alcohol licenses from shopkeepers who repeatedly sell booze to drunks who cause problems in the city.

Last month, Premier Stores in Lower Dock Street had its licence suspended for three months for selling alcohol to five known drinkers.

Superintendent Dave Johnson said officers, Community Support Officers and Special Constables will also speak to shops and businesses, offering help and advice on how to prevent crime, nipping it in the bud: “Stopping it is better than dealing with it.”

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Good news on crime

WE ARE sometimes accused of only ever focussing on the bad news when it comes to covering issues of crime.

So today we are more than pleased to be able to report on some good news.

And Gwent Police, along with the various partners involved in keeping Newport safe, are to be commended for their actions which have resulted in a reduction in the number of crimes in the city centre.

Anti-social behaviour and overall crime have both fallen on the previous year, which is great news for all of us who either live or work in Newport.

Better still, the trend downwards looks as though it is continuing, with incidents between April and June this year down on the same period last year.

It appears that the reduction is a direct result of the close working between the police, businesses and traders, the council and Street Pastors.

Weekly meetings are resulting in a good flow of information between all those involved, which enables the police to focus on any rising trouble spots with immediate effect.

If shoplifting or anti-social behaviour is becoming a problem in a particular area of the city centre, then extra police patrols are put in place, meaning it can be nipped in the bud.

This is obviously proving very effective and is a way of working which could, and should, be copied elsewhere.