Tenby's police chief has hit out at critics who claim the town has an anti-social behaviour problem. Inspector Les Clark's comments come after he read in a recent issue of the Observer that the town council were compiling a list highlighting examples of anti-social behaviour that have occurred in the last few months to be sent to the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee which is to conduct an inquiry into the police service, crime and anti-social behaviour in Wales. "I accept Tenby does have its fair share of anti-social behaviour problems, but I try to put the problems in context with the rest of the country," he told the Observer this week. "Tenby is a town which markets itself as a holiday town and with that it has got to put up with a certain amount of the situation," continued the officer. But he stressed: "The fear of crime in Tenby is out of proportion with the actual risks people are exposed to. "People must remember, it is not the police that get individuals drunk and turf them out onto the streets in the early hours of the morning." In his letter, which was discussed in camera at Tuesday night's meeting of the town council, Insp. Clark revealed that local officers had attended 1,425 incidents in the Tenby area during the summer period, compared to 1,455 incidents last year, and during the months of June, July and August, recorded violent crime in Tenby (including sexual offences) fell by 27 per cent. The number of serious assaults such as wounding and those occasioning actual bodily harm was reduced by 18 per cent from 27 offences last year to 22 this year, while the less serious type of assault such as common assault with no marks or injuries fell as well. As far as criminal damage was concerned, although vandalism remained steady at 47 offences for both years, offences of criminal damage to motor vehicles was reduced by 29 per cent. Local officers have made full use of the legislation in relation to drug prevention and 15 individuals have been dealt with in relation to possession and supplying, compared to 11 for the same period last year. "There has been excellent work in arresting individuals in the rest of my section for the supply of Class A drugs with seizures of heroin, cocaine and sizeable quantities of amphetamine, some of which would have found its way onto the streets of Tenby," said Insp. Clark. A feature of the inspector's work this year has been a partnership working between local officers and members of the licensing team of Pembrokeshire County Council. He has also been working on the violent crime action plan which has seen weekend police resourcing at Tenby augmented by the addition of officers from Pembroke Dock and elsewhere who have patrolled areas with local officers and have been involved in a number of incidents. Also throughout the summer, police staff, normally based at headquarters, were instructed to make themselves available for patrol duty at Llanelli and Tenby on Friday nights. "I have made use of these officers throughout the summer and a couple of months ago I found myself foot patrolling with the assistant chief constable," Insp. Clark continued. Figures supplied by the police and county council suggest that 15 per cent of the county's drink-related anti-social incidents occur within the town walls of Tenby. "I have already indicated that I would make objections to further proliferation of licensing within the town and this policy has been successful already, with one application being withdrawn prior to the hearing," said Insp. Clark. "I am currently in discussion with local licensees to discuss other measures that may be possible to further bear down on drink related anti-social behaviour." However, Insp. Clark also pointed out that the use of the term anti-social behaviour was a newish phrase describing an old problem. "There have always been people who drink too much. There has always been yobbish behaviour and a level of violence to contend with," he said. "I recently read a copy of the Tenby Observer, an organ that has effectively highlighted the problems this summer. The front page banner headline read 'Saturday night hooliganism must be stopped. Residents afraid to go on streets.' This newspaper was dated June 18, 1954, more that 50 years ago. Some things never change!" FOOTNOTE: Insp. Clark is due to meet with the town council at their next meeting on October 19.
