Your neighbourhoods, your officers: the problem solving hub

Made up of an inspector, sergeant, police officers, police staff and design out crime officers, our problem solving hub is dedicated to tackling the issues facing our communities.

The team works closely with key partners and a range of internal departments across the force, including our neighbourhood teams and We Don’t Buy Crime.

They are innovative in their approach to dealing with issues like car thefts, burglary and disorder in licensed premises.

As part of our festive “Your neighbourhoods, your officers” series, we sat down with the hub’s sergeant – Lee Stachow – to talk about their recent work and hear the crime prevention advice they’re sharing this Christmas.

The role of the hub

The problem solving hub was created to help tackle a range of issues impacting people in Gwent.

One key part of our work is to establish the root cause of these issues in order to deliver an enduring, positive result. We embed short, medium and long-term measures to monitor this activity.

Partnership working is vital – so that we can tailor our delivery to make sure victims of crime receive the best level of care.

Shopping at Christmas

Christmas can lead to an increase in demand on emergency services, which is why we’re working with residents and local businesses to help prevent things like shoplifting.

Shop watch scheme launched in Ebbw Vale

We’re committed to tackling shoplifting in Blaenau Gwent and are currently piloting a shop watch scheme in Ebbw Vale to help businesses detect and prevent theft in their premises.

Those who sign up are registered to a social messaging platform and, on signing in each morning, can share updates around crime prevention advice, sightings of suspected shoplifters and any incidents that have happened recently.

Working with our cadets

Our NXT GEN team is also working with retailers in areas most affected by shoplifting.

Our cadets and design out crime officers have visited stores in Cwmbran, for example, to identify potential gaps in a store’s security and give advice around the things they can do to increase security over Christmas and beyond.

Keeping vehicles safe

Preventing theft from a vehicle

We continue to work with partners to highlight the steps we can all take to keep our vehicles, and their contents, safe.

The teams have recently been working with our new crime prevention police support volunteers to advise shoppers about the risks related to leaving valuable items on display in parked cars.

In just one hour, they identified 38 cars left unattended with items (including money, documents, wallets, purses, handbags, sports bags and shopping) left on view, potentially giving thieves an easy target.

By removing electrical items, or storing them securely in the boot, we can reduce the risk of theft. Find out more.

Keyless could be carless

Earlier this year, we launched our “Keyless could be carless” campaign to share safety advice with owners of cars with keyless entry.

Things like using a signal-blocking pouch, keeping your key fob away from your parked car to disrupt the communication range and using a steering wheel lock are some of the ways you can reduce risk.

Own a car with keyless entry? Here’s some more crime prevention advice.

Supporting victims of burglary

Year-round, we work with our We Don’t Buy Crime team to support victims of burglary. This can include the delivery of forensic property marking kits, which people can use to mark their valuable items with an invisible, but traceable, ink. Paired with signs displaying that your property is protected, this helps keep your much-loved items safe.

Our design out crime officers have also recently been sharing these top tips to help you keep your Christmas safe from criminals.

• Keep presents and valuables out of sight – ensuring they’re not on view in the back of your car or under your tree.
• We understand spreading the Christmas cheer on social media can be fun but be mindful of not giving potential thieves an idea of what’s being kept in your house.
• Try to dispose of left-over boxes and wrapping paper discreetly, breaking up the cardboard and placing them in your wheelie bins.
• Never keep large amounts of cash at home.

For more on the people working hard over Christmas to protect and reassure Gwent, read our “Your neighbourhoods, your officers” profiles.