Plenty of mess to deal with during High Street patrol
USED syringes, public drinking, foul and abusive language, and human excrement were just some of the unpleasantness dealt with by police as part of the crackdown taking place in Swansea's High Street.
The Evening Post joined uniformed and plain-clothed officers as they took to the troubled street and surrounding areas as part of the ongoing Operation Lynx, which aims to clampdown on the antisocial behaviour problems blighting the area.
The patrol saw four plain-clothed officers of the city centre's neighbourhood policing team targeting known drug dealers and users, while 12 uniformed officers launched high visibility patrols of the street.
In total, police issued 12 section 27 notices, banning those people from the city centre for 12 hours, made three arrests — for a public order offence, a breach of bail, and a breach of a drug referral order — and conducted 15 stop searches on people they believed to be carrying drugs.
Among those arrested was a woman identified by the neighbourhood policing team as one the top 20 offenders in High Street.
Sergeant of the city centre neighbourhood policing team, Mike Francis, said: "All in all it was a successful day.
"Being in plain clothes gives you the opportunity to blend in with the public — with drug offences we get the best results in plain clothes — we can approach people we want to and make sure we speak to who we want to.
"The people we see causing trouble are the people we see on a daily basis.
"It doesn't take long for word to get out that we are out on the streets.
"They know we are there even if they can't see us and with the back up of uniformed officers it does deter them from the area."
One of the plain-clothed officers on patrol said: "The aim of a patrol like this is to target any drug offences.
"We have a massive problem with drugs in the city centre and we will be targeting those people on a daily basis and putting those people before the court. High visibility policing is a must for High Street and we will be carrying out regular patrols like this and will be continuing to do so."
As part of Operation Lynx, 50 people were issued with section 27 notices in a three-day period last month.
After the successful patrol, Sergeant Francis also responded to criticism from traders and businesses that the police were not doing enough to clamp down on the anti-social behaviour.
"I know my team take the criticism we receive personally because they are all working very, very hard out there trying to make it a better place for everyone.
"Our aim is to make the whole of the city centre in Swansea a better place for residents, the visitors and the traders."
Following reports in the Post that people and businesses had given up on reporting antisocial behaviour in High Street, the plain-clothed officer also pleaded with traders and worried residents to report any trouble they saw.
"We work closely with our partners such as Housing Options and the JobCentre and a lot of businesses in High Street such as Blacks.
"We have a good working relationship with them and I would encourage people to call us whenever they see trouble.
"All drug related work comes down to the quality of the intelligence so we always want members of the public to keep providing us with information so we can work towards solving the problems."
robert.goodman@swwmedia.co.uk
8 Comments
by Dave, Swansea, Swansea
Friday, November 05 2010, 2:19AM
“The biggest problem with High Street is the fact that the facilities on offer attract the low life scum to the area like bees to honey.
Job Centre, Housing Options, Various Flats where some, not all are housed. Then for good measure two off licences for the endless supply of Special Brew & White Lightning.
I for one know for a fact that the Police are working very hard to rid the area of the problem delinquents, however, the magistrates are responsible for handing down sentences that are quite frankly embarrasing. They offer no detterent for anyone, all the hard work that goes into moving these retribates on or arresting them is a fruitless exercise untill the magistrates get a grip on reality and get out into the big wide world of the City and communities that they are supposed to be protecting.
It also needs to be said that it is NOT just the Police that are responsible for sorting out these issues, where are the local authority, Probation, Community Safety, Social Workers, Case workers, housing teams??
A lot of the general public are also to blame, DONT give money to these rodents who waste air by breathing it, the majority are not homeless simply alcoholics and drug addicts.
If ALL businesses rallied together as a united front and worked together then I am confident that most of these issues could be resolved. It's our City, not theirs!!”
by trampus, th strand
Thursday, November 04 2010, 6:15PM
“michael swansea
gis-a-fag mosh!!”
by michael, swansea
Thursday, November 04 2010, 3:53PM
“saw a few old bill on high st today, 1st time i have walked up there without, (gis a fag mosh, have ewe gorra £1 I needs 2 get up the hospitail 2 c my gran whos dying c mosh. something worked.”
by Heather, Mumbles
Thursday, November 04 2010, 2:55PM
“You are right Edward Boyle, the High Street is a disgrace as is drink.”
by Giz a job, Neath
Thursday, November 04 2010, 2:03PM
“My understanding is that most of the properties in High Street are privately owned. So I don't think the council can just knock them down and start again.
Similarly though the premises look bad unless they are posing a public danger that is not enough reason for the council to serve any legal notices. Where would it stop - if my house/garden is untidy (but not dangerous) let's have the council come along and serve a notice on me? We'd all be happy then, wouldn't we!”
by Edward Boyle, Swansea, South Wales, UK
Thursday, November 04 2010, 12:47PM
“The place is a disgrace, its been like it for ages and nothing has been done about it. it's not just High Street either. I've seen very little being done about it over the years, maybe it's too much like hard work for the police and council. They will only appear to do something when the papers get involved.
At least smack heads and alcoholics tend not to live as long as the rest of us.”
by Edna Everard, Swansea
Thursday, November 04 2010, 11:53AM
“A video Geoff ? Just go there and visit it for yourself. Better still go at night its only marginaly more depressing than the day. The council have let the High Street rot at the expense of these more grandiose ideas of Avenida del Oystermouth. Knock the whole lot down from the hotel down to the church next to Argos and start again. Put this spanish avenue plan there. Whatever happens the wandering human misery of the High St will go elsewhere until the root of the matter is addressed.”
by geoff, Westcross
Thursday, November 04 2010, 8:40AM
“This story has been on going for almost a week now,with views on all sides,the police,traders,and the general public.
With respect to the evening post for bringing these problems to the front page and its internet service,and also going out on patrol with the said officers on operation lynx.
I for one would like to see pictures or video of what the evening post reporter saw on their stint out with old bill!!”