Neath Guardian Column - June 09.

I was very pleased to recently meet Superintendent Julian Williams, the new Divisional Commander of Neath Port Talbot Police, to discuss with him the problems which the people of Neath and the surrounding areas face with regard to issues of law and order.

People have the perception that crime is increasing and getting worse. However, the latest figures released by the Home Office show that crime in Neath Port Talbot is continuing to fall.

Statistics for the last quarter of 2008 show a reduction in crime of 14.6 per cent compared to the previous year. House burglaries fell by 38.9 per cent, while violent crime was down 18.9 per cent and car crime down by 23.5 per cent.

The police’s performance in crime reduction is excellent, and they are making Neath Port Talbot a safer place to live, work and visit. They recognise that it is not all about figures, and are working hard on issues such as making people feel safer and ensuring that people’s perception of crime reflects the true figures.

Of particular interest to me was the work being done with trading standards officers to target rogue traders who prey on the vulnerable and elderly. A number of operations have been aimed at tackling bogus workmen and traders, who are often linked to distraction burglaries. Examples of this include charging for unnecessary work, damaging property deliberately in order to obtain money to repair it, leaving work unfinished or even intimidating residents in order to extort money. I ask for local residents to look out for elderly relatives or neighbours to ensure they do not become victims.

An important problem which the Police and Fire Service are tackling is the Illegal use of off-road motorcycles on roads and pavements. This is a problem which I have raised many times, and last month saw the launch of a new joint police and fire service off-road team which will now be deployed in hotspot areas.

Anti-social behaviour is taken seriously in Neath Port Talbot, and it is the only area of Wales to have a dedicated public referral telephone service for people to report individuals who commit anti-social behaviour. The Safer Neath Port Talbot Partnership, run by the Labour run Council and the Police, has resulted in a substantial reduction in the number of anti-social behaviour incidents over the past 12 months. The Anti-Social Behaviour Hotline is 01639 889709.

Residents can find latest PACT meeting information, updates on PACT priorities and contact details for their local Neighbourhood Police Officer at www.ourbobby.com