As open drug dealing and under-age drinking continues to escalate in Neyland town centre, Dyfed-Powys Police this week urged the public to be extra vigilant in the way in which matters are reported.
“We need the intelligence,” stressed rural police officer Adam Thomas.
“Please just report it, even if you think it’s nothing. If you do, then we can patrol the town more, and see what’s going on.”
Officer Adam Thomas went on to say that while officers are eager to tackle the town’s escalating drug problem, their actions are being hampered by the public’s failure to report.
“We know you have drugs here, but the people of the town just aren’t reporting it,” he said.
Only 43 calls were made to Dyfed-Powys Police by Neyland residents during March. These included three calls in relation to theft, seven domestic incidents, four harassments and one fraud. This month the figure currently stands at 30 calls which includes three in relation to road traffic collisions, one assault, four domestics and four harassments.
“If it’s not reported, then it’s not recorded,” commented Cllr Mike Harry at this week’s meeting of Neyland Town Council.
“We’re the only town in Dyfed-Powys that has no CCTV as a result of our low crime figures, but this is a Catch-22 situation.
“If we don’t’ report a crime, then it’s not recorded and we don’t get the cameras. So all we can do is encourage people to report any incidents they see, and any crime that they may be aware of.”
Meanwhile Cllr Angela Radice highlighted some of the main crime issues that are currently affecting the town.
These include under-age drinking in the streets, drug dealing in areas including the Brunel Quay car park and Charles Street, and electric scooters which are being ridden inconsiderately along pavements and other public places.
“The car park by the yacht club is being used for selling street drugs,” she said. “I’ve seen packages being passed between cars and I’ve seen young people, who aren’t old enough to be served in a pub, drinking alcohol in the streets.”
Rural officer Adam Thomas said that other towns are tackling their under-age drinking problems by enforcing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which prohibits all alcohol from being drunk in that particular area.
“Again, please let us know if you see any under-age drinking taking place in the streets because officers can then act and take the alcohol off them,” he said.
Cllr Radice went on to say that teenagers and young children as young as eight regularly ride their electric scooters along the High Street where they mount the pavements and weave around pedestrians.
“If we get a call to say that these scooters are being ridden in an anti-social manner, then we’ll take them off them,” responded police officer Thomas.
“But if they’re being ridden in a safe manner, then there’s nothing we can do. If we attempted to remove the scooters in an instance such as this, then it would rile the community more.”
Reports to the police concerning any suspected crime incident can be made by phoning or texting 101 or by visiting the Dyfed-Powys Police website.
