Knife crime has been halved and more than 拢200,000 of drugs and illicit cash have been seized in a Gwynedd city, it is claimed. North Wales Police have clamped down on crime in Bangor over the last four months and say they are now seeing results.
It comes after the force launched a plan called Clear Hold Build in March. North Wales Police said data collected since the beginning of March has revealed that reports of knife crime are down by 50 per cent and reported incidents of anti-social behaviour are down by 7.8 per cent.
The number of people being charged or given out of court disposals following a crime has increased, including 22.3pc more positive results following a shoplifting incident and nearly 43pc more people being dealt with for carrying a knife. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter – sent every Tuesday
The multi-agency project has seen the Clear Hold Build team, known locally as Renew Bangor, working with partners on 13 operations over four months, with the aim of tackling drug supply, violence and anti-social behaviour in the city centre, said the force.
Proactive patrols and executed warrants have resulted in over 拢160,000 worth of class A and B drugs and over 拢60,000 worth of cash being seized and substantial amount of stolen items recovered. Following its initial success, the force says the team will continue to work with key partners to begin planning the next phase of the project.
Superintendent Arwel Hughes said: 鈥淚 am extremely pleased to see the positive impact that the multi-agency approach is having in the city centre and beyond.
鈥淭he team have worked tirelessly to tackle the issues that cause the most concern in the community as part of the 鈥榗lear鈥 phase of the project. We will continue to work closely with partners to continue to make Bangor a hostile place for criminals to operate and to improve the city centre for community members.鈥
In February North Wales Live visited Bangor to hear what residents and business operators thought about the city’s fortunes and how they could be improved.
* North Wales Police urge anybody with information about drugs or criminality in Bangor to contact police via their website or by calling 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers.