PEMBROKE Dock Town Council welcomed to its November meeting PC Sarah Smith, who oversees the Neighbourhood Policing Team responsible for South Pembrokeshire.

PC Smith said that during the summer months, there had been an increase in anti-social behaviour (ASB), and this combined with a reduction in members owing to absence, the team had been stretched far and wide.

Nevertheless, the team had located pockets of ASB problems in the town, for instance outside Tesco and at the railway station. As part of a multi-agency response, youths who have been identified as displaying ASB have been sent warning letters. Alongside parents, school officers and a “fantastic” outreach worker, the youths then get follow-up visits.

“We don’t just send letters and forget about it,” the constable explained. She said PCSOs still try to maintain contact even after 12 months, but added that it is more difficult when there manpower is diminished.

Sarah then outlined promising work in combating the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters. By law, these cannot be used in any public places, and PCSOs visit schools to educate young people about the law.

Officers have been trained to use DNA-specific spray, which remains traceable with UV light and can help police identify the user of an illegal vehicle if they refused to stop at the time.

Between six and eight weeks ago, local police identified and seized one of the vehicles. This in itself appears to be acting as a deterrent - councillors noted that e-bikes are currently not being seen - but it’s a long term problem and doesn’t stop there. Police are still gathering intelligence, reaching out to authorities and considering options.

CCTV and noise monitoring equipment at Fort Road are also having a deterrent effect on ASB and anti-social driving. PC Smith would like to see these measures kept and upgraded.