Promises of action following crime & ASB meeting

POLICE and council leaders have pledged more action against crime and anti-social behaviour in Newport city centre following a meeting with local businesses.

The meeting at the Newport Mercure on June 17 was attended by more than 100 representatives of city centre businesses.

It was jointly organised by Newport Now Business Improvement District (BID) and Newport Business Against Crime (NBaC). Both organisations are governed by local businesses.

More than 30 business owners or managers spoke at the meeting, with all voicing concerns over an increase in crime and ASB in the city centre and a lack of effective enforcement action.

Answering questions from the audience was a panel made up of Newport City Council leader Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, Cabinet member for Communities and Sport Councillor Jason Hughes, the council’s Public Protection Manager Matthew Cridland, Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent Jane Mudd, Superintendent Esyr Jones from Gwent Police, and NBaC manager Dominique de Cet. Newport Now BID manager Kevin Ward chaired the meeting.

City centre businesses voiced a range of serious concerns to the panel.

These included a recent spate of commercial burglaries, intimidatory behaviour by known individuals, drugs being taken and dealt in clear view of the public, bicycles and e-scooters being ridden dangerously in pedestrianised areas, shoplifting, aggressive begging, and street drinking.

Some businesses complained that enforcement action was being taken against them by the local authority following the installation of shutters to protect their premises.

Concerns were also raised about the installation of bollards on some roads in the city centre, meaning access to traffic was prohibited between the hours of 10am and 6am each day; and also the number of vulnerable people being housed in the area.

A common theme expressed by the majority of attendees was an apparent lack of enforcement and police presence.

Concerns were also raised about the reliability of the city centre’s CCTV system, which is managed by the council.

There were calls for a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to crime and ASB, and for “action not promises”.

Superintendent Jones told the meeting that he was sorry if businesses felt the service police were providing was not good enough, and pledged to improve matters, to rebuild trust in policing, and to work together with businesses, the local authority and others to ensure Newport city centre is a safe public space.

Councillor Batrouni said the council was investing in an improved CCTV system, and more enforcement officers for the city centre. He also said he would ask council officials to review the planning rules governing security shutters on commercial premises.

Newport Now BID and Newport Business Against Crime has agreed to organised a follow-up meeting for businesses in September, so promised actions can be reviewed and further concerns raised if necessary.

Representatives from the police and the council told the meeting they would attend any follow-up.

Newport Now BID manager Kevin Ward said: “The BID and NBaC lobby the police, the council and other agencies on these important matters on a weekly basis and we will continue to do so.

“We were pleased to offer businesses this opportunity to raise their concerns directly with those responsible for enforcement, and we will repeat this after the summer period.

“In the meantime, we would urge all businesses – and the general public – to report incidents of crime and ASB to the police or the council’s ASB team.

“Alternatively, they can speak to our Street Ambassadors or weekend Night Ambassadors. Their contact details are available by clicking here.