A NEW partnership project hopes to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in Gwent by ensuring everyone is “chipping in”, the police and crime commissioner has said.

The neighbourhood working model aims to get local groups, charities, councillors and youth organisations together to have their say on recurring incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Gwent Police Inspector Kevin Warren, representing Newport East, met with such partners at a meeting in Newport yesterday.

Lliswerry Action Group met at Moorland Park Community Centre, where partners and local councillors discussed problem-solving initiatives in the presence of Gwent police and crime commissioner Ian Johnston, ward manager PC Alistair Frame and Insp Warren.

Mr Johnston said: “The model that we have set up here is made up of Positive Futures officers, Newport City Council representatives, Barnado’s, members from health and education, as well as the local authority’s anti-social behaviour co-ordinator.

“This set up is looking at problem-solving in this particular area where we look at current trends and themes we have to deal with.”

He added: “There are challenges in this particular ward but the meeting today was good, it was a good environment, and people were chipping in – that’s what we want.

“The model is more advanced in this area but we hope to replicate it across Gwent.”

Insp Warren said: “We all play a part in solving these problems, not just the police. Off-road biking is a big problem in this particular area [Black Ash Park in Lliswerry], for example.

“The thing for us is how do we make the people feel safer – and this is helped by getting the message out there and getting them involved.

“The four main points for the police are the access people get to us and us to them, the influence we have towards the problem, how we implement the partnership, but the ‘biggy’ for us is how we get those answers back to the people.

“Through Twitter, OWL, the Argus, and face to face contact, we’re trying to make people feel safer in their communities.”