ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) fell by more than 20% in a year, figures show.
Between November 1, 2023 and October 31, 2024, South Wales Police saw a reduction of 21.5% in the number of antisocial behaviour incidents recorded in RCT compared to the previous 12-month period, down from 5,605 to 4,402.
A report to a recent meeting of RCT Council’s community services crime and disorder scrutiny committee said that during that period South Wales Police recorded 4,402 occurrences of antisocial behaviour in the Mid Glam BCU area which covers the Rhondda, Cynon, and Taf areas with 2,836 reporting people and 1,402 perpetrators attached to those incidents.
There were 1,523 (down from 1,876) reported incidents in the Rhondda, 1,448 (down from 1,662) in the Cynon area, and 1,431 (down from 2,067) in Taf.
The report mentioned the example of Aberdare bus station which has seen a 50% decrease in calls to South Wales Police in relation to crime and antisocial behaviour at the location after action was taken.
It said the bus station had been a problematic location historically, attracting large groups of youths to the area.
While at the location these youths had been abusive to members of the public and station staff, used drugs and consumed alcohol, caused criminal damage, and were often rowdy or intimidating toward other station users, the report said.
This was a recurring problem at the location and local neighbourhood police officers and community safety partnership staff would often contribute a significant amount of resources, time, and effort tackling it, eventually reducing the demand from the location, it added.
But over the next year a new group would often replace the previous offenders highlighting that there are additional factors that are attracting the offenders to the location, the report said.
A plan was put into place to tackle antisocial behaviour at the location which included increased police presence, joint patrols by police and school staff, engagement with bus drivers, and antisocial behaviour legislation being used robustly.
The report said the design of the bus station with its many archways in and out of the shelter allowed individuals to run away in several directions to evade police officers attending calls at the location.
The RCT community safety team consulted with the police’s crime reduction tactical adviser (CRTA) to look at the physical aspect of the bus shelter and see if there was a way to “design out” the anti-social behaviour occurring there.
The CRTA’s report provided recommendations and the community safety team applied for grant funding from the Safer Streets grant to fund the proposed change which included adding railings and gates into the open archways to prevent absconding and adding fencing to prevent individuals running on to the busy road in front of the bus station.
CCTV was also installed at the location and the community safety team worked with the RCT transport team to implement the design.
Councillor Steve Bradwick, who represents Aberdare East, said the work at Aberdare bus station was brilliant and praised the previous inspector because the bus station was “horrendous” and “like the wild west”.
