Antisocial behaviour decrease follows street drinking controls

Anthony Lewis Local Democracy Reporter

New figures show that antisocial behaviour in two town centres has decreased after the introduction of street drinking controls.

A report will be presented to Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council’s community services (crime and disorder) scrutiny committee for Monday, September 2, as it consults on plans to extend a public spaces protection order (PSPO) for three years.

Since 2021, there have been a number of changes to the way the PSPO is enforced and there has been a reduction in the total number of anti-social behaviour incidents recorded by South Wales Police in the two town centres.

In Pontypridd, there has been a 23% reduction from 183 incidents in 2021-22, to 140 in 2023-24, while in Aberdare, there has been a 29% reduction from 305 incidents to 217.

Ongoing concerns

But the report said the town centres still have the highest number of anti-social behaviour incidents in the county between 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.

In 2018 and again in 2021, the PSPO designated Aberdare and Pontypridd town centres (including a portion of the Lower Graig) as “intoxicating substances exclusion zones”, banning the consumption, injection, inhalation, ingestion, smoking or use of intoxicating substances or alcohol.

These areas were chosen because the data analysis showed higher than average levels of alcohol-related anti-social behaviour compared to other areas of RCT.

The report said historically, the biggest issue faced in reducing anti-social drinking within Pontypridd and Aberdare town centres is “repeat perpetrators.” These are people who are aware of the existence of the PSPO but refuse to comply with it.

In 2023-24, 356 people received a warning letter, 32 got an on-the-spot fine (fixed penalty notice), and 14 received a community protection notice banning them from the town centre.

The report said the figures suggest most people who consume alcohol in the town centres do not continue to do so after being educated about the PSPO and the consequences of breaking it again, but the ones who return are “repeat perpetrators”.

Innovation

The report said the community safety team has worked hard to solve the issue and have been”innovative” in using other legislation to assist, which has resulted in a number of people becoming subject to community protection notices or criminal behaviour orders and effectively excluding them from the town centres.

People who fail to pay fines are referred to court for further action and the report said there have been some positive results in relation to those who have appeared for non-payment of fines in relation to the PSPO.

The report said the council’s community safety team has well-established and strong partnership links with South Wales Police and other support agencies and will continue to work with them to ensure they use the most appropriate tools available to tackle such behaviour.

It said the team is constantly working with South Wales Police to develop more streamlined and additional enforcement procedures to ensure repeat offenders are dealt with in a robust manner and the proposals in the report need to be considered as part of a wide range of measures to tackle complex problems, such as anti-social behaviour and street drinking.

The report says one of the benefits of a PSPO is to prevent and disrupt anti-social behaviour by enabling enforcement officers to remove alcohol from a situation where disorder is likely to occur.

If a person complies with the request to hand over their alcohol, no offence is committed and no fine is issued and their details are taken and an educational warning letter is sent to them providing them with information about the PSPO, a map of the ‘exclusion zone’ and a warning about enforcement action that will follow if they are found to be consuming alcohol in the zone in the future.

Compliance

The report said the majority of individuals who are approached by an enforcement officer comply with a request to stop drinking and to dispose of, or hand over, intoxicating substances such as alcohol.

Figures show there were eight breaches of the PSPO for refusal to surrender substances in 2021-22, two in 2022-23 and one in 2023-24.

There were 251 responses to the consultation, with 66% of respondents agreeing the PSPO has or is likely to have a positive impact on the quality of life in RCT, and 95% of respondents agreed the PSPO should be extended for a further three years.

The report said public perception is that alcohol consumption in public spaces within RCT is a problem, particularly in Aberdare and Pontypridd with the misuse of other substances also reported.

It said there is public support for retaining PSPO restrictions, with the majority of respondents agreeing the PSPO will have a positive impact on the quality of life in RCT.