Current activities and recent events

Wednesday saw the second wave of dawn raids take place within the Borough which resulted in a good success for the ongoing ‘rat on a rat’ campaign.

Warrants were carried out at Maesteg, Wildmill, Sarn, Pyle and Bridgend.

Through recent intelligence gathered from a variety of sources within the community it had been identified that a number of local youths have been openly involved in the recreational use of controlled drugs along with the consumption of alcohol. These activities have had a significant impact on the quality of life of a number of residents in some areas of Maesteg and as a result an initiative was set up through the Maesteg Neighbourhood Police Team in order to confront this problem.

Bridgend Substance Misuse Action Team (SMAT) has been selected as one of four pilot areas in Wales to deliver an evaluated early parental intervention programme (EEPIP). The EEPIP service was launched by the Welsh Assembly Government and chair of the SMAT on October 1st 2007.

The zebra crossing on High Street, Ogmore Vale has never been paid so much attention. Local children attending the OgmoreValePrimary School have been facing problems on their journey to school, with commuters rushing past the crossing without stopping to let the children cross.

Retailers in the Borough that persist in selling alcohol to children are to face tough sanctions, including suspensions of their licence for up to three months, revocation of their licence and/or £20,000 fines and 6 months imprisonment.

In today’s day and age when an unwelcome visitor comes to the door, it is can be very difficult for residents to gauge whether or not people are genuine. To assist in this decision the residents of Llys Faen have been given a helping hand with the official launch of their very own ‘No Cold Calling Zone’.

A project between the young people on Wildmill,Youth Works (Groundwork), Valleys to Coast and local businesses culminated in an official opening yesterday.

This morning, (20/09/07) at 0700 a large scale dawn raid drug warrant operation took place within the Borough of Bridgend. Under the direction of the Rat on a Rat campaign, several houses within the Brackla, Caerau and Wildmill area were targeted and are still in the process of being targeted throughout the day. Doors were smashed down in this visible campaign and members of the public looked on as officers raided properties across the borough.

On October 1st 2007 the Bridgend EEPIP Service will be launched in Bryngarw House. The service offers support to parents living in the LlynfiValley and Bettws areas who are seeking help in overcoming their problems with drugs or alcohol and need support to provide good parenting for their children. The service runs from within the On Track [1] team in both areas and will help parents to access the additional help and support they might need.

First Bus Company, the main provider of bus services in Bridgend is fully backing the recently launched Rat on a Rat 2007. Launched last week, Rat on a Rat 2007 run by Bridgend Police and the Safer Bridgend Partnership, focus on the drug dealers that operate in the community, and how they can be removed to disrupt the higher level of supply. Rat on a Rat posters are now up on most buses in the Borough, providing a wide audience of travellers the information and confidence needed to make a call to help stop the drug dealers in the community.