Residents and local businesses gathered at Neath Civic Centre yesterday evening to receive an update from community safety partners about the work that has been done to clamp down on anti-social behaviour in Neath Town Centre.
Chief Inspector Declan Cahill of South Wales Police informed the meeting that following concerns raised about anti-social behaviour in the town last summer, a great deal of work had been done by a range of agencies.
The actions taken included increasing targeted police patrols in the area, raising awareness of the importance of reporting incidents to the police via the 101 or 999 systems; identifying genuinely vulnerable people and working intensively with them to help them to access services in and around the area; expanding the StoreNet and NiteNet radio system within the business community to share information about potential problems and taking collective action to prevent crime and disorder in the town.
Chief Insp Cahill emphasised that many of the people that had been subject of concerns were very vulnerable and the priority was to help and protect those individuals. However, he also told the meeting that where people persistently refused help and continued to display unacceptable behaviour that firm enforcement action had also been taken.
The meeting also heard from Sian Morris, Community Safety Manager of Neath Port Talbot Council, that a responsible giving scheme was under consideration. The generosity of local people in providing money and food to people sleeping on the streets was acknowledged but the scheme would encourage people to make those donations to a recognised local charity as an alternative going forward to improve access to services for the genuinely vulnerable people in the area. This particular idea received very warm support from the meeting.
Residents and traders at the meeting put forward a number of additional suggestions for consideration by the Community Safety Partnership, including consideration of additional measures to limit the consumption of alcohol in the town centres other than at properly organised and licensed events/venues. There was also a call for a greater focus on Victoria Gardens in the town.
Overall, there was support for the work that has been done to date with many of the people attending commenting that the work had made a noticeable difference.
Cllr Des Davies, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Protection said: “It was important that we came to update residents and traders today on the work that has been undertaken since last summer. We have taken concerns seriously and there have been many successes to date, although there is still work to do.”
He pledged: “I will continue to make sure there is a focus on anti-social behaviour and will ensure the points raised tonight are considered within the Community Safety Partnership and incorporated into future work.”
Cllr Steven Hunt, Chair of the Community Safety and Public Protection Scrutiny Committee, concurred: “There has been a lot of good work undertaken since concerns were raised a year ago. It is important that residents and traders play their part by making sure any incidents are reported to the police via the 101 or 999 system.”
“We must remember there is a lot to be positive about as far as the town centre is concerned. While we need to highlight areas where there are issues to address, we must also promote the town centre and make sure people know what is on offer and are encouraged to come along and support the town”.
Andrew Shufflebottom of the Neath Business Improvement District added “I want to say that the work that has been done to date has been well done. Street begging and anti-social behaviour is unfortunately a feature of life within towns and cities up and down the country. Neath is no different”.
“The work done by our community safety partnership is to be celebrated. Having attending national meetings of Business Improvement District managers, what has been done here is far and above what is being achieved elsewhere”
The meeting concluded at around eight pm with a request from the Community Safety Partnership to report any incident of concern using 101 (non-emergencies) or 999 for emergencies.
Businesses in the area were also urged to play their part by joining the local Business Crime Reduction Partnership. For more details contact Grant Botterill on (01639) 889162.
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Casglodd preswylwyr a busnesau lleol yng Nghanolfan Ddinesig Castell-nedd neithiwr i gael y diweddaraf gan bartneriaid diogelwch cymunedol am waith a wnaed i leihau ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol yng nghanol tref Castell-nedd.
Hysbyswyd pawb yn y cyfarfod gan y Prif Arolygydd Declan Cahill, Heddlu De Cymru, yn dilyn pryderon a godwyd am ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol yn y dref yn ystod haf y llynedd, fod llawer iawn o waith wedi'i wneud gan amrywiaeth o asiantaethau.
Mae'r camau gweithredu a gymerwyd yn cynnwys cynyddu patrolau'r heddlu yn yr ardal, cynyddu ymwybyddiaeth o bwysigrwydd dweud wrth yr heddlu am ddigwyddiadau drwy systemau 101 neu 999; nodi pobl sy'n wirioneddol ddiamddiffyn a gweithio'n ddwys gyda nhw i'w helpu i gael mynediad i wasanaethau yn yr ardal a'r cyffiniau; ehangu'r systemau radio StoreNet a NiteNet yn y gymuned fusnes i rannu gwybodaeth am broblemau posib a chymryd camau ar y cyd i atal troseddu ac anrhefn yn y dref.
Pwysleisiodd y Prif Arolygydd Cahill fod nifer o'r bobl a fu'n destun pryderon yn ddiamddiffyn iawn, a'r flaenoriaeth oedd helpu a diogelu'r unigolion hynny. Fodd bynnag, dywedodd wrth bawb yn y cyfarfod lle'r oedd pobl wedi gwrthod help yn gyson ac wedi parhau i ymddwyn mewn ffordd annerbyniol, yna cymerwyd camau gorfodi cadarn.
Clywodd y cyfarfod hefyd gan Siân Morris, Rheolwr Diogelwch Cymunedol Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot a ddywedodd fod cynllun rhoi cyfrifol yn cael ei ystyried. Cydnabuwyd haelioni pobl leol wrth roi arian a bwyd i bobl sy'n cysgu ar y stryd, ond byddai'r cynllun yn annog pobl i roi'r hyn maent yn ei gyfrannu i elusen leol gydnabyddedig fel dewis amgen er mwyn gwella mynediad i wasanaethau i'r bobl sy'n wirioneddol ddiamddiffyn yn yr ardal. Cefnogwyd y syniad penodol hwn yn fawr gan bobl yn y cyfarfod.
Cynigiodd preswylwyr a masnachwyr nifer o awgrymiadau ychwanegol i'w hystyried gan y Bartneriaeth Diogelwch Cymunedol, gan gynnwys ystyried mesurau ychwanegol i gyfyngu ar yr alcohol a yfir yng nghanol y dref ac eithrio mewn digwyddiadau/lleoliadau trwyddedig a drefnir yn gywir. Galwyd hefyd am fwy o ffocws ar Erddi Victoria yn y dref.
Yn gyffredinol, roedd cefnogaeth ar gyfer y gwaith a wnaed hyd yn hyn gyda llawer o'r bobl a oedd yno'n dweud bod y gwaith wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth amlwg.
Meddai'r Cyng. Des Davies, Aelod y Cabinet dros Ddiogelwch Cymunedol a Diogelu'r Cyhoedd, "Roedd yn bwysig i ni ddod heno i roi'r diweddaraf i breswylwyr a masnachwyr am y gwaith a wnaed ers yr haf diwethaf. Rydym yn cymryd pryderon o ddifrif a chafwyd sawl llwyddiant hyd yn hyn, er bod llawer o waith i'w wneud o hyd."
Addawodd, "Byddaf yn parhau i sicrhau bod ffocws ar ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol ac yn sicrhau bod y pwyntiau a godwyd heno'n cael eu hystyried yn y Bartneriaeth Diogelwch Cymunedol a'u cynnwys mewn gwaith yn y dyfodol."
Cytunodd y Cyng. Steven Hunt, Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Craffu Diogelwch Cymunedol a Diogelu'r Cyhoedd, gan ddweud, "Gwnaed llawer o waith da ers i'r pryderon hyn gael eu mynegi flwyddyn yn ôl. Mae'n bwysig bod preswylwyr a masnachwyr yn chwarae eu rhan drwy sicrhau yr adroddir am unrhyw ddigwyddiadau i'r heddlu drwy'r system 101 neu 999."
"Rhaid i ni gofio bod llawer i fod yn gadarnhaol yn ei gylch o ran canol y dref. Er bod angen i ni dynnu sylw at feysydd lle mae problemau y mae'n rhaid mynd i'r afael â hwy, rhaid i ni hefyd hyrwyddo canol y dref a sicrhau bod pobl yn gwybod yr hyn sydd ar gael ac yn cael eu hannog i ddod yma a chefnogi'r dref".
Ychwanegodd Andrew Shufflebottom o Ranbarth Gwella Busnes Castell-nedd, "Rwyf am ddweud bod y gwaith a wnaed hyd yn hyn wedi'i wneud yn dda. Yn anffodus, mae cardota ar y stryd ac ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol yn nodwedd bywyd mewn trefi a dinasoedd ledled y wlad. Nid yw Castell-nedd yn wahanol".
"Dylid dathlu'r gwaith a wnaed gan ein Partneriaeth Diogelwch Cymunedol. Ar ôl mynd i gyfarfodydd cenedlaethol rheolwyr y Rhanbarth Gwella Busnes, mae'r hyn a wnaed yma hyd yn hyn yn llawer mwy na'r hyn sy'n cael ei gyflawni mewn mannau eraill"
Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am oddeutu 8 o'r gloch, gyda chais gan y Bartneriaeth Diogelwch Cymunedol i bobl adrodd am unrhyw ddigwyddiad o bryder gan ddefnyddio 101 (os nad yw'n argyfwng) neu 999 ar gyfer argyfyngau.
Anogwyd busnesau yn yr ardal i chwarae eu rhan hefyd drwy ymuno â'r Bartneriaeth Lleihau Troseddau Busnes. Am fwy o fanylion, ffoniwch Grant Botterill ar 01639 889162.
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