Gwent Police protecting businesses in Ebbw Vale

40 businesses on Rassau industrial estate, Ebbw Vale, have been given forensic property marking kits, crime prevention signs and more by Gwent Police as the force's Safer Streets project continues to target theft offences in Gwent.

Traders in Rassau have been given a security boost recently.

Gwent Police's We Don't Buy Crime and Safer Streets teams have been working with businesses on Rassau industrial estate, Ebbw Vale, to provide crime prevention support and advice, review security measures and provide forensic property marking kits and crime prevention signs as part of the force’s Safer Streets project.

As well as offering tailored security advice to each business, officers have given out free 'commercial' crime prevention kits containing forensic property marking kits.

These enable businesses to ‘mark’ their assets – whether that be products, vehicles, infrastructure – with an invisible, traceable signature, making them easier to return if stolen and connect offenders with the crime.

The packs have been paid for with the additional funding Gwent Police secured earlier this year via the Home Office's Safer Streets initiative.

Gwent officers have seen local businesses reap the benefits of similar measures in the past – with traders on Tafarnaubach industrial estate in Tredegar not seeing a single report of a burglary since the force worked with them in November last year.

Inspector Shane Underwood said:

"I'm thrilled the additional money the force received from the Home Office is being used to supply local businesses with these proven crime prevention measures.

"Our teams work tirelessly to respond to reports of burglary and identify anyone intent on committing these crimes and bring them to justice, but also continue to bring in measures to prevent these incidents from happening in the first place.

"I'd like to thank the police and crime commissioner and colleagues in our Safer Streets and We Don’t Buy Crime team for their ongoing work in supporting both residents and businesses in Blaenau Gwent."
Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert said:

“I am committed to making Gwent a safer place to live and work.

“Gwent Police has already seen considerable success using these crime prevention methods, and I am delighted that the money we have secured from the Safer Streets fund is enabling us to roll them out to more businesses across the region.”

The Safer Streets team will now be working on introducing similar initiatives to businesses in Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Caerphilly and Newport.

For more on the force's work to protect communities from neighbourhood crime and anti-social behaviour, visit: https://www.gwent.police.uk/police-forces/gwent-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/2021/safer-streets/.