TWO housing support specialists are to ease the pain of antisocial behaviour across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.
Craig Williams and Jo Powell will help those affected by neighbourhood issues to get support.
Last year (2014) there were more than 19,500 reported cases of antisocial behaviour in Dyfed-Powys – 7,696 in Carmarthenshire, 3,047 in Ceredigion, 4,865 in Pembrokeshire and 3,925 in Powys.
Craig and Jo are the day-to-day leaders of a new service to be delivered by Welsh not-for-profit organisation Grŵp Gwalia, and funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon. They will be supported by colleagues around the region.
Craig said: “Around half of incidents reported to Dyfed-Powys Police are classed as antisocial behaviour. We will address this big challenge and reduce its impact and work to make communities safer. We promise a flexible and responsive service ensuring people feel safe in their communities.”
Craig, Jo and their team will identify and manage risk to people who have experienced antisocial behaviour. For victims, there will be easy access to advocacy, mediation and practical help to keep them and their property safe.
Other aspects of the service will include information sharing between organisations working with victims and the issuing of warning letters to perpetrators.
Christopher Salmon said: “I want to keep communities safe against problems that blight people’s lives. I hope this scheme will prevent small things becoming crimes. Gwalia offer an innovative solution – they already have great experience in communities and in dealing with antisocial behaviour. I’m focused on improving behaviour and tackling causes of antisocial behaviour. Gwalia will work with families to give young people responsibility and respect.”
The Gwalia service – annual cost around £200,000 – will run until March 2017 and may continue beyond that. They will work closely with agencies such as Dyfed-Powys Police and local authorities. Their contract represents a streamlined approach and ensures that victims receive a consistent level of service across the region.
Those suffering antisocial behaviour should call the police on 101. Each case will be risk-assessed to decide how it is handled, with police attending where necessary and Gwalia coordinating the necessary response from all relevant agencies.
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