Police vow to tackle after dark anti-social behaviour on Tenby's beaches

Instances of after dark anti-social behaviour regularly occurring on Tenby’s beaches , has seen Dyfed-Powys Police vow to step-up high visibility patrols in the area to ‘robustly’ tackle concerns.
Members of the public have been asking what steps police authorities are taking to prioritise safety across Pembrokeshire’s popular beaches at night, following reports of anti-social behaviour regularly occurring late into the night on Friday and Saturday evenings especially, down on North and South beaches in Tenby.
Examples of large groups of teenagers gathering early evening and after dark have highlighted concerns relating to underage drinking and drug-taking.
Also, safety concerns have been raised over bonfires being started very close to the grass cliff areas alongside beaches, with one set of teenagers said to be seen ripping out trees specifically to set them alight.
Operation Dawns Glaw - a campaign led by the Fire Service recently reformed to highlight incidents of deliberately set grass fires across Wales.
A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “With the summer season almost upon us, the South Pembrokeshire Neighbourhood Policing Teams will once again be conducting high visibility patrols in the Tenby area, targeting anti-social behaviour and criminality.
‘Tenby will see increased patrols, in addition to the Op Lion patrols, which are put in place for the summer months with the influx of visitors to the area.
“Those responsible will be dealt with robustly to keep our communities safe. The team will be utilising all resources at their disposal including dispersal orders, community protection warnings and notices, striving to tackle problematic persons.
“We will also be working with our partner agencies, the team at Tenby Harbour and the local community to continue to ensure that Tenby is a safe area to visit.
“We want residents and visitors to the area to feel safe and enjoy one of Wales’ top tourist locations, we urge those who witness anti-social behaviour or have concerns to contact us.”
Saundersfoot county councillor Cllr Chris Williams recently questioned whether Council Tax payers were getting enough ‘bang for their buck’ when it comes to seeing ‘bobbys on the beat’ around seaside communities, in light of recent tax demands going towards the police precept.
“The police presence amongst the community doesn’t reflect the income they are receiving from communities such as Saundersfoot,” he remarked.
Concerns at the level of policing in Pembroke were also raised recently by local county councillor and town councillor Jonathan Grimes, who stated: “Anti-social behaviour is on the rise, drug-taking is on the rise, and the police response is woefully inadequate at the moment.
“It’s unusual to see police patrols after 10pm because most of the police patrols are carried out by PCSOs who normally finish at 10pm.”