Patrols increased to target Halloween and Bonfire Night antisocial behaviour

Teams from a Welsh police force will be patrolling communities to respond to reports of antisocial behaviour between Halloween and Bonfire Night across the force area.

Ahead of the October 31 to November 5 period, South Wales Police is reminding people to report any concerns they have regarding antisocial behaviour as part of its Project Pinpoint campaign.

The period is considered one of the busiest in the policing calendar. Last year, police control rooms received just over 1,828 calls on Halloween and a further 1,534 on Bonfire Night from members of the public, many of whom were concerned about antisocial behaviour.

Visibility

Common issues can include injury or fire caused by the improper use of fireworks, the throwing of eggs, flour, and other items onto property, and disturbance caused to communities.

South Wales Police will expand the number of officers on duty to increase visibility on both October 31 and November 5, with a command room set up to coordinate response to any issues.

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, South Wales Police and local fire and rescue services worked with local authority partners to clear fly-tipped waste near any concerning areas of antisocial behaviour.

Community engagement events have also been held to inform residents of the dangers of setting their own bonfires and safety precautions to take when using fireworks at home.

Campaign

South Wales Police’s Project Pinpoint campaign aims to encourage more people to report antisocial behaviour concerns so officers can take appropriate action, whether through increased community engagement, arranging diversionary activities, or through more direct enforcement.

Chief Inspector Mark Brier said: “The late October and early November period is one of the busiest times of year for South Wales Police and its partners.

“While Halloween and Bonfire Night can provide lots of harmless fun for some people, for others it can be a source of distress and anxiety so it’s important that we are all considerate of each other.

“We are urging people through our Project Pinpoint campaign to report all their concerns about antisocial behaviour in their area because every report counts. The more information we have, the better we are able to take appropriate action to address peoples’ concerns and prevent problem areas from developing.”