Pyle ‘Paid Back’ Through New Police Collaboration
A new collaboration between South Wales Police and South Wales Probation Trust will see Pyle ‘paid back’ through community clean ups by offenders.
Led by PC Gerry Mckay, a Beat Manager for Pyle Neighbourhood Policing Team, and Mark Woolcock, Unpaid Work Placement Officer for South Wales Probation Trust, the new initiative will see offenders carry out unpaid clean-up operations in Pyle to benefit the community and learn new skills as part of sentences imposed by the courts.
The ‘Community Payback’ scheme in Pyle is one of a number in the Bridgend borough, with the first clean-up taking place at the cycle path that runs under the old railway bridge between Croft Goch Rd and Cefn Cribwr on Tuesday 14th April.
From 12pm, PCSOs Karen Powell and Jon Howe watched a team of 6 offenders supervised by Mike Rees, Unpaid Work Supervisor of the Trust, who all wore orange ‘Community Payback’ tabards to collect and dispose of a variety of dumped rubbish, including a gas canister, a wooden bed frame and dozens of empty beer cans.
PCSO Powell has also spoken to Wyevale Garden Centre in Pyle, whose manager Jason Perman has agreed to donate a collection of plant and flower seeds. They will be planted along the cycle path in the near future to replace the former litter, brighten the environment, and to discourage fly-tipping.
Beat Manager PC Mckay said: “This new scheme will not only provide areas of Pyle with a new lease of life, but will also allow residents to witness what offenders are doing to atone their crimes first hand.”
“Pyle Neighbourhood Policing Team will continue to work with residents in local PACT meetings to identify neglected areas that would benefit through ‘Community Payback’ work, so we look forward to successfully collaborating with South Wales Probation Trust again in the future. The next step will also be to expand the scheme to the Porthcawl area.”
Tony Fraser, Unpaid Work Manager said: “We are delighted to be working with the police on this project. Schemes like this raise the visibility of Community Payback and enable the public to see justice being delivered in their communities.”