Making Bridgend town centre safer

Shoppers visiting Bridgend town centre are reminded that they can report any anti-social behaviour or crime by calling 101.

The Bridgend Community Safety Partnership – which is made up of Bridgend County Borough Council and South Wales Police together with other public, private and voluntary agencies – has issued the reminder as part of ongoing efforts to make the town centre a safer, more attractive place to visit and do business.

Whether it be a visible police presence on the streets, CCTV monitoring, or work with traders behind the scenes, we are dedicated to improving Bridgend town centre by reducing crime and the fear of crime. During the last six months, there have been arrests for shoplifting and drug possession, and five persistent offenders have been issued with Criminal Behaviour Orders which exclude them from the town centre and specific retail premises. An offender can be jailed for breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order.

We’ve also run a campaign focused on reducing the underage sale of alcohol, while drinkers consuming alcohol in the street have had their bottles and cans confiscated under the Public Space Protection Order. Drinking alcohol or carrying open containers in the town centre is prohibited, and anyone who fails to comply with police requests could be arrested and face a maximum fine of £1,000. Anti-social behaviour at Bridgend Bus Station is often a concern so we’ve been surveying young people gathering there to help make them more aware of the support for accessing education, training or employment that is offered by Employability Bridgend. I’m also pleased that The Zone is now operating additional opening hours as a drop-in centre for homeless people.

Regular inspections are carried out all year round to check that street lights are working and to see if there are any areas where lighting could be improved. The partnership is also working hard to tackle littering and provide a long-term solution for issues with graffiti. Another development in the town centre is the fact that the CF31 BID group has recruited a Street Marshall. Part of their role is to works alongside the police and other organisations to reduce business crime. We rely on information from the community, so if anyone ever has any concerns regarding anti-social behaviour and other crimes, please report your concerns so that action can be taken.

Councillor Richard Young, the council’s Cabinet Member for Communities

As well as dialling 101, anti-social behaviour and crime issues can also be reported to the Bridgend Community Safety Partnership by emailing publicservicecentre@south-wales.pnn.police.uk. Any emergencies should be reported to 999.

Fly tipping, graffiti and littering problems can be reported to Bridgend County Borough Council by calling 01656 643643 or emailing talktous@bridgend.gov.uk.