“Youth annoyance and anti-social behaviour remains a top concern for our communities
Officers from our Community Safety Team recently seized alcohol from a group of youths, in the Pontypridd area, as part of our aim to reduce youth annoyance.
Police Sergeant Mike Rudall explains: "Youth annoyance and anti-social behaviour remains a top concern for our communities in both county boroughs with agencies, including ourselves, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil Councils dealing with numerous reports and complaints from residents each year.
"It is important that we take robust action against the minority who do cause harm to our communities with their behaviour. However it is equally as important to ensure there is information, engagement and provision on hand to enable young people to make the right choices in the first place. This is imperative in preventing and reducing crime and disorder.
"The Youth Engagement initiative was designed to deliver this specific project with the aim of encouraging young people to continue to make the right choices about how they spend their time."
As well as tackling those causing problems – including seizing alcohol – officers speak with young people about how they spend their spare time, working with them so they understood how “hanging around” could be seen by others to be anti-social or disruptive especially on the run up to Bonfire Night.
