Chief inspector condemns recent disorder in Blackwood
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Officers continue to act against those behaving anti-socially on the town.
A new multi-agency operation is in place in Blackwood town centre to combat a recent rise in anti-social behaviour.
Officers have increased patrols, implemented dispersal orders when necessary, and arrested several people on suspicion of public order offences.
Chief Inspector Stevie Warden says recent behaviour witnessed in the town centre has been “mindless” and “unacceptable” and has reiterated the service’s commitment to tackling all forms of disorderly behaviour.
“Our officers continue to work with our community safety partnership to do all we can to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the town,” he said.
“The bus station, for instance, is one of our known areas for ASB and that is factored into our daily patrols. We also have tailored plans for Op Lumley, a force-wide initiative set-up to tackle anti-social behaviour in hot-spot areas.
"We are aware of the recent reports of disorder over the last few weeks and councillors’ concerns, and we continue to work collaboratively with partner agencies to tackle this.
"In the last two weeks we’ve issued numerous dispersal orders, arrested and charged a 17-year-old girl for breaching a community protection notice (CPN) and we will continue to carry out regular patrols in the area and take appropriate action against ASB.
“Positively, we’ve seen a decrease in ASB in Blackwood in recent days, but our work does not stop here.
"Tackling the issue goes beyond just policing, we would ask parents, guardians and carers to consider – do you know where your children are socialising, and do you know if they're involved in what is being reported to us?
"And we urge them to have conversations to help these young people understand that not only are these actions having a negative impact on those around them, that any offences committed by them could negatively impact their futures - whether that's stopping from getting their dream job, applying for a car loan, or the chance to travel."