Around 50 young people have been identified by police as part of efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour in Barry town centre, with agencies now set to focus more closely on a smaller group believed to be driving repeated problems.
The figures were discussed during an extraordinary meeting of Barry Town Council, called following ongoing concerns about incidents in and around King Square.
The meeting followed reports of criminal damage, fires, fighting and abuse towards businesses and council staff, while damage to Barry Town Hall had already resulted in the temporary suspension of face-to-face services.
Police say they're focusing on 5 to 10 high-demand young people, referred to as "ring leaders", working with partners to put them through stage four of the Anti-social behaviour process, which includes seeking injunctions, which could include stopping young people attending certain locations or associating with certain young people.
South Wales Police Inspector Huw Tyler and Sergeant Andrew Nealon outlined the work taking place, including a four-stage anti-social behaviour process which can begin with a warning to a young person's family and ultimately lead to the local authority seeking an injunction.
Police said partners are now putting a “hyper focus” on a group of around five to ten high-demand individuals whose names repeatedly come to the attention of agencies.
Inspector Tyler told the meeting that prosecution remained an option where appropriate, but stressed that officers were dealing with young people.
“Where we can, we are prosecuting, but we need to remember we're working with young people.”
He later added that “it’s not in our nature to criminalise young people right away”, while making clear: “I’m not against prosecution.”
Council staff describe impact
Councillors and Police heard stark accounts of the impact the situation is having at Barry Town Hall.
The council's Chief Officer Rachel Honey-Jones said there had been five break-ins, and that staff members had taken sick leave due to stress.
She said staff had been subjected to verbal abuse and physical intimidation and described young people aged between 12 and 14 “charging at doors” and “breaking windows”.
Staff were also said to be travelling to their cars in groups, while employees were no longer being allowed to work downstairs after 3 pm.
The Chief Officer said closing the Town Hall to members of the public was particularly difficult for people seeking bereavement support.
“I need to emphasise the physical and mental impact on our staff and their wellbeing.”
She added: “I have lots of staff members who do not feel safe in this building.”
The Town Hall had already temporarily suspended its in-person services following damage to around a dozen windows, with the Town Council reviewing whether planned festive events could be delivered safely.
Calls for different approach
Cllr Shirley Hodges argued that the existing response was not sufficient and questioned whether a Public Spaces Protection Order should now be considered.
She told the meeting: “More of the same isn't working, so we need to do something else.”
Cllr Hodges said the Town Council itself had limited resources and called for greater involvement from the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Concerns were also raised about the Christmas tree and festive lights planned for the town centre, including the additional security and potential cost of protecting them.
Cllr Bronwen Brooks called for agencies to work together rather than shift responsibility between organisations.
“It's no good anyone passing the buck; it has to be a concerted effort.”
CCTV concerns
Police also acknowledged problems with CCTV coverage in King Square.
Sergeant Nealon told councillors trees were obstructing cameras and said: “We've been asking for years to have them cut.”
Cllr Johnson called for a more proactive approach to resolving the issue, with Sergeant Nealon agreeing that it should be pursued.
Police said facial recognition had also been used to help identify known individuals, although many of the young people involved had not previously been known to officers.
Early intervention
The meeting also heard repeated warnings against treating all young people in the town centre as criminals.
Cllr Payne stressed the distinction between young people gathering in the area and those involved in criminality, calling for more engagement between officers and youngsters.
Inspector Tyler said police were working beyond King Square, including visiting schools and speaking to headteachers and youth services, which had helped officers identify some of those involved.
Police said early intervention with parents had been successful in around 70 to 80 per cent of cases, although officers said some parents were unwilling to engage or disputed their child's involvement.
The force said it would continue working with other agencies, with a particular focus on those repeatedly coming to their attention.
Police had previously introduced additional dispersal powers around King Square and said officers were conducting proactive patrols alongside work with the Vale Council, schools and Youth Justice Services.
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