Notes from crime & anti-social behaviour meeting

CRIME AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR MEETING FOR CITY CENTRE BUSINESSES

Venue: Mercure Newport

Date: 30 September

Time: 4.00pm - 6.00pm

Panel

• Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, Leader, Newport City Council

• Chief Superintendent Jason White, Gwent Police

• Jane Mudd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent

• Councillor Jason Hughes, Cabinet Member for Communities and Sport, Newport City Council

• Rhys Cornwall, Strategic Director for Transformation and Corporate, Newport City Council

Chair

• Kevin Ward, Manager, Newport Now BID

Attendees

Representatives from city centre businesses and partner organisations.

1. Welcome and Introduction

Kevin Ward welcomed attendees and thanked the Mercure Newport for hosting the meeting.

He explained that the event had been organised jointly by Newport Now BID and Newport Business Against Crime as a follow-up to the meeting held on 17 June, providing city centre businesses with an opportunity to discuss concerns relating to crime and anti-social behaviour directly with the police, local authority and partner agencies.

2. Police Update

Operation Krypton

Chief Superintendent Jason White provided an update on progress since the June meeting.

Key points included:

• Operation Krypton had formally concluded as a named operation, but the principles established during the initiative would continue as part of everyday policing activity.

• Additional police visibility and enforcement activity in the city centre would remain in place.

• Options were being explored to sustain additional resources through the remainder of the year and into 2027.

• Between June and 29 September:

  • 283 arrests had been made.

  • 104 charges had been secured.

  • A number of offenders had been recalled directly to prison.

• Police had increased the use of civil orders and injunctions to tackle repeat offenders.

• Arrests across Newport between April and August were significantly higher than for the same period in the previous year.

• A particular focus remained on prolific offenders responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Chief Superintendent White acknowledged that Newport city centre remained a crime hotspot but believed businesses should have seen an increase in police presence and enforcement activity over recent months.

He also noted that demands on policing resources remained significant due to serious incidents across the wider Gwent Police area.

Neighbourhood Policing

Chief Inspector Stevie Warden highlighted:

• The ongoing impact of repeat offenders on businesses and residents.

• Changes to patrol deployment and shift patterns aimed at maximising city centre coverage.

• Daily tasking meetings involving police, Newport City Council, housing providers and other agencies to share intelligence and agree priorities.

Inspector Martyn Pugh and Sergeant Kate Lewis were introduced as the new city centre policing team.

Inspector Pugh stated that:

• The work undertaken through Operation Krypton should be viewed as a catalyst for long-term change.

• High-visibility and plain-clothes policing activity would continue.

• Particular focus would remain on rough sleeping, aggressive begging, substance misuse, shoplifting and commercial burglary.

• Criminal Behaviour Orders and other civil measures would continue to be used alongside traditional enforcement powers.

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3. Issues Raised by Businesses

Police Visibility and City Centre Presence

Several businesses welcomed improvements since June but expressed concern that:

• The same individuals continued to cause disruption on a daily basis.

• Greater police visibility was still required.

• Anti-social behaviour remained concentrated in known hotspot areas.

The police acknowledged these concerns and stressed that intelligence-led deployment was now being used to target areas and times where problems were most prevalent.

Businesses were encouraged to continue reporting incidents to ensure resources could be deployed effectively.

BID Street & Night Ambassadors

Questions were raised regarding the visibility and role of Newport Now BID's Street Ambassadors team.

Kevin Ward clarified that:

• The BID currently funds two daytime ambassadors operating Tuesday to Saturday.

• The scheme is funded through the BID levy.

• Night Ambassadors operating on Friday and Saturday evenings are separately funded through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

• Kingsway Shopping Centre and Friars Walk have their own security provision and therefore businesses in these locations pay a reduced BID levy.

While some attendees called for increased Ambassador coverage, others recognised the value Ambassadors provided through engagement, intelligence gathering and reporting.

Discussions were held regarding the possibility of introducing Ambassador coverage on Mondays and additional bank holiday periods.

Communication and Information Sharing

Businesses raised concerns regarding:

• A lack of updates relating to repeat offenders and exclusion orders.

• Limited feedback following reports and intelligence submissions.

• A desire for better communication between businesses, police and partner agencies.

Police representatives acknowledged these concerns and outlined plans to improve engagement and feedback mechanisms.

There was broad support for making greater use of existing communication platforms and exploring additional opportunities for direct engagement with businesses.

Known Hotspots and Drug Activity

Several attendees highlighted ongoing concerns regarding:

• Areas around Newport railway station.

• The underpass and associated car parks.

• Bus station areas.

• Locations associated with rough sleeping, substance misuse and drug dealing.

Businesses reported repeated incidents despite regular reporting of concerns.

Police representatives reiterated the importance of continued intelligence submissions and acknowledged that some locations identified during the meeting would require further attention.

4. Operation Signal

Inspector Pugh outlined plans for the introduction of Operation Signal.

The initiative will involve:

• Police officers and PCSOs carrying out direct engagement with businesses and residents.

• Gathering information through surveys and face-to-face conversations.

• Identifying specific local priorities.

• Providing more direct communication and feedback.

The initiative will also include discussions around crime prevention measures, including SmartWater and other security technologies.

5. Youth Anti-Social Behaviour

Businesses raised concerns regarding:

• Groups of young people congregating in the city centre.

• Repeated incidents involving under-18s.

• Perceived lack of consequences for persistent offenders.

Jane Mudd outlined funding opportunities available for diversionary activities, including:

• Youth engagement projects.

• Sports programmes.

• Creative and music-based activities.

• Gaming and digital initiatives.

Attendees were encouraged to identify organisations capable of delivering activities that could help divert young people away from anti-social behaviour.

Discussion also took place around parental responsibility and enforcement options for persistent offenders.

6. Newport City Council Update

Councillor Dimitri Batrouni outlined actions taken since the June meeting, including:

• Daily intelligence-sharing meetings with Gwent Police and partner organisations.

• Recruitment of additional community safety wardens.

• Ongoing support for city centre businesses through business rates relief.

• Upgrades to the city centre CCTV network.

• Installation of additional cameras in identified hotspot locations.

• Exploration of environmental improvements such as alleyway gating and other crime prevention measures.

Councillor Batrouni also highlighted the importance of greater involvement from health services in addressing:

• Mental health issues.

• Alcohol dependency.

• Substance misuse.

He stated that many of the challenges visible in the city centre could not be solved solely through enforcement activity.

7. Planning Restrictions and Business Security

Several business owners expressed frustration regarding planning restrictions on external security shutters, particularly within conservation and listed building areas.

Concerns were raised that:

• Businesses were expected to absorb substantial costs arising from criminal damage.

• Existing planning guidance could restrict security measures.

• Inconsistencies existed regarding the appearance and treatment of different premises.

Council representatives acknowledged these concerns and confirmed:

• Work was ongoing to explore funding options for alternative security measures.

• Discussions would take place between businesses, planning officers and enforcement teams to identify practical solutions.

  
  

8. Temporary Accommodation and Support Services

Questions were raised regarding temporary accommodation within the city centre and its impact on anti-social behaviour.

Council and housing representatives explained:

• Significant progress had been made in reducing family homelessness.

• Demand for temporary accommodation among single people remained high.

• Work was ongoing to disperse accommodation provision more evenly across the city.

• Greater emphasis was being placed on support services, mental health interventions and meaningful activities for residents.

The importance of addressing the underlying causes of homelessness and vulnerability was emphasised throughout the discussion.

9. Media Coverage and Perception of Newport City Centre

Several attendees expressed concern that negative reporting and commentary about Newport city centre, particularly on social media and within local media, was harming public confidence and discouraging people from visiting the city centre.

One business representative specifically criticised coverage by the South Wales Argus, arguing that negative stories often received greater prominence than positive developments, new business investments and successful city events.

Councillor Jason Hughes acknowledged these concerns and noted that negative publicity could directly impact footfall and business confidence. While recognising the importance of scrutiny and legitimate reporting, he suggested greater emphasis should also be placed on positive stories about Newport.

Ian Lamsdale of Newport City Radio highlighted the role local media could play in promoting positive developments and encouraged organisations to work together to tell more positive stories about the city.

Chief Superintendent Jason White agreed that partners could do more collectively to publicise achievements, partnership activity and improvements taking place in the city centre.

There was broad agreement that improving perceptions of Newport city centre was an important part of supporting economic growth and attracting visitors, alongside efforts to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

10. Events and Promotion

Attendees discussed the importance of city centre events in driving footfall and economic activity.

Upcoming events highlighted included:

• Newport Food Festival.

• The Christmas Lights Switch-On.

• Additional seasonal events and activities supported by Newport Now BID.

Concerns were raised regarding maintaining a safe and positive visitor experience during major events, particularly around transport hubs and taxi ranks.

Partners agreed to continue working together on event planning and operational arrangements.

Actions Agreed

Action	Lead
Continue daily multi-agency tasking and intelligence meetings.	Gwent Police / Newport City Council
Maintain focus on prolific offenders through enforcement activity and civil orders.	Gwent Police
Roll out Operation Signal and undertake direct engagement with businesses.	Gwent Police
Improve communication and feedback mechanisms for reporting businesses.	Gwent Police / Newport Business Against Crime
Review the use of DISC and other intelligence-sharing platforms.	Newport Business Against Crime / Gwent Police
Explore opportunities to extend daytime Ambassador provision, including Monday coverage.	Newport Now BID / Newport City Council
Consider additional Ambassador coverage during key bank holiday periods.	Newport Now BID / PCC / Newport City Council
Continue rollout of CCTV improvements and facial recognition capability.	Newport City Council
Investigate hotspot locations highlighted by businesses during the meeting.	Gwent Police
Develop discussions regarding planning restrictions and business security measures.	Newport City Council
Continue engagement with health services regarding mental health and substance misuse support.	Newport City Council / Health Partners
Work with Newport Bus and partners to address city centre transport hub concerns during major events.	Newport City Council / Gwent Police / Newport Bus
Promote positive stories, events and partnership activity to improve perceptions of Newport city centre.	All Partners