Youth annoyance given the boot following the kick off of Operation Fifa

Operation FIFA was set up in anticipation of a potential increase in youth annoyance and anti–social behaviour throughout the school holidays. Despite levels of anti–social behaviour and youth annoyance being at an all time low within the Ogmore Valley, local residents had expressed concerns through PACT, Community Council and Neighbourhood Watch meetings, in relation to a potential increase in youth related problems during the summer period.

Throughout July and August, the Ogmore Valley NPT kicked off Operation FIFA by conducting pro-active, high visibility patrols throughout the Valley, focusing on identified key hot spot areas.

To coincide with the operation name, FIFA, the team introduced a penalty system where youths seen displaying behaviour of an anti-social nature on a first occasion would be issued with a yellow card and warned that should their anti-social behaviour continue they would be issued with a red card and would not qualify for the reward scheme.

As an incentive for those young people who have displayed respect for their community and not become involved in any youth annoyance or anti-social behaviour during the summer holidays, the NPT introduced a reward scheme where approximately 20 to 30 youngsters chosen at random were invited to take part in a day of activities with the team and local youth and community workers.

Working closely with the Ogmore Valley Life Centre in conjunction with the Play 4 Life scheme the Ogmore Valley NPT has been, promoting a variety of sports and activities to local youths and parents.

A number of partnership agencies were invited to an open day on Wednesday 25th August at the Life Centre to provide demonstrations in their specialised fields. The local children and parents were given the opportunity to watch on in amazement as their local fire service dismantled a vehicle before their eyes, and utilising the G4S mobile custody suite, youths were able sit inside a holding cell and have their finger prints taken by officers.

Throughout the day, as a means of raising funds for the reward scheme, the Ogmore Valley NPT held a raffle; balloon modelling and face painting were available as well as a disco run by local youth workers. Community members were also invited to take part in a community car wash. To top the day off, the children enjoyed a talk from officers from the South Wales Police firearms unit and were even allowed to try the equipment on.

Neighbourhood Beat Manager PC Gemma Tibbott said: “Operation FIFA has been a great success and is an excellent example of how partnership working can achieve truly excellent results. With the assistance of the Ogmore Valley Life Centre and the Play 4 Life scheme the Ogmore Valley NPT has worked closely with local youths throughout the summer promoting sports and other activities as a means of proactively preventing anti social behaviour within the community by channelling negative behaviour into positive and productive behaviour.

“The reward scheme has also proved successful and to date no red cards have been issued to any local youth. In the near future the team will be holding further fund raising events, including car washes so please come along and help us raise enough money so we can reward the local youths of Ogmore Vale for their outstanding behaviour this summer.”

The Ogmore Valley Neighbourhood Policing Team would like to thank Bayliss Recovery, Blackmill Service Station, Fox and Hounds Public House, Blackmill, Patrick’s Barbers, Ogmore Vale for their kind donations and to everybody else who attended on the day.