Exam success for Safer Vale Partnership

The Safer Vale Partnership can claim its own success on the recent GCSE results day after a lot of advance planning was put in to practise to meet the anticipated under age drinking that is often associated with the day as students celebrate their results.

Acting Sergeant Stuart Wong of Barry neighbourhood Support team said: ”Neighbourhood Policing officers maintained a high visibility in a number of potential problem areas around Barry and working in collaboration with our partners in PULSE and Trading Standards confiscated a large amount of alcohol from young people under the age of 18 years.

Much of this was collected in and around Porthkerry Park area where an unsanctioned celebration event had been planned. Early intervention and confiscation led to a positive result and dramatic reduction in reported crimes and occurrences with only one report of disorder during the event and no reports of damage on the following day.

The PULSE team were able to offer education to the young people about the effect of alcohol and offered free bottles of water to help minimise its effect. Police officers also worked with Trading Standards which resulted in an off licence being reported for supplying alcohol to minors.

Working with our partners and planning for the day well in advance we were able considerably to reduce the number of incidents of anti social behaviour and ensure the safety and well being of young people concerned. In recent years a considerable number of police officers and the police helicopter have been needed to deal with problems and on the day following event Police were inundated with reports of damage.

This year the students were able to celebrate their big day safely and securely and the general public were also able to continue to enjoy Barry’s popular parks open spaces without encountering any problems.