Shoppers and businesses in Llanelli will see increased police patrols and local action to tackle town centre crime this summer, as the Home Secretary launches a major blitz to support safer high streets.
The blitz – which will see more officers in Llanelli town centre during peak times over the summer months – has today been welcomed by Dame Nia Griffith, Labour MP for Llanelli as a way to help shoppers and visitors feel safe and more confident and also to increase footfall in the town.
More than 500 towns have signed up to the Home Secretary’s Safer Streets summer crackdown. In the Dyfed Powys Police area, these towns include Llanelli as well as Carmarthen, Aberystwyth, Brecon, Builth Wells, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Newtown and Tenby.
The towns will see increased police patrols accompanied by stronger prevention and enforcement action by police, councils and other local partners.
Under the previous UK Conservative Government, shoplifting soared to record levels, with a staggering 70% increase in their last two years in office alone.
Local Police and Crime Commissioners have developed bespoke local action plans with police, businesses, and local councils with the aim of supporting town centres to become vibrant places where people want to live, work, spend time.
These plans include increased visible town centre policing and ramping up the use of targeted enforcement powers against troublemakers – including banning perpetrators from hotspots.
The blitz comes as part of the UK Labour Government’s Plan for Change, which will also put 13,000 more police personnel in neighbourhood roles over the course of this Parliament, backed by a £200m cash injection in the first year. Thanks to this investment, Dyfed Powys Police will get an additional 33 neighbourhood officers this year.
The Home Office, alongside police, retailers and industry are also launching a new Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy, which will use shared data to assist in disrupting not just organised criminal gangs, but all types of perpetrators including prolific offenders who are stealing to fund an addiction and ‘opportunist’ offenders.
Dame Nia Griffith, Labour MP for Llanelli, said:
“The Conservatives decimated neighbourhood policing whilst crimes like shoplifting and street theft were spiralling out of control and communities like ours here in Llanelli unfortunately paid the price.
Residents and local businesses have the right to feel safe in our town centre and the increased policing and enforcement will play an important part in sending a clear message to those intent on causing problems that their behaviour will not be tolerated. Putting more officers back on the beat where people can see them will make a real difference.”