PONTYPRIDD’S LABOUR MP PUSHES UK GOVERNMENT TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO TACKLE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

This week in Parliament Alex Davies-Jones MP raised her serious concerns about the impact that anti-social behaviour (ASB) is having on residents and communities across Pontypridd and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The debate in the House of Commons took place fresh off reports that violent crime on our streets has increased across every police force in the UK over the past 11 years by 116%.

Recent analysis of the Crime Survey of England and Wales statistics also revealed that an estimated two fifths of adults, or 19.1 million people, suffered from ASB in the past year.

This represents a rise from 15.56 million people, or 30%, when compared to figures from 2011-12.

ASB is defined in the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act (2004) and encompasses two legal definitions.

The first states that ASB that occurs within a housing context is defined as behaviour that causes or is likely to cause “nuisance or annoyance”. The second states that ASB that occurs in public spaces is defined as behaviour that causes or is likely to cause “harassment, alarm or distress”.

In Pontypridd and across Taff Ely there are a number of issues regularly being reported to South Wales Police, including vandalism, graffiti, fly-tipping, youth’s congregating in public spaces and aggressive car chasing.

Alex Davies-Jones MP has regularly raised these concerns with South Wales Police and RCT Council, and has recently been part of the team who have secured a Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting for residents in the Tonyrefail area which has been particularly badly targeted.

Following the debate in Parliament, Alex Davies-Jones MP said:

“ASB, especially vandalism, is an issue that crops up in our communities on what feels like a daily basis.

South Wales Police do an incredible job under difficult circumstances but put simply the UK Government need to do more to understand the impact that ASB is having on residents in the areas most impacted.

I’ve heard from people across the constituency, particularly in the Tonyrefail, Beddau, Church Village and Rhydyfelin areas. Shockingly, some people now feel they are unable to leave their houses alone at night.

This is utterly unacceptable, and the UK Government must be doing more to support both local authorities and police forces to tackle this worrying issue before it is too late.”