POLICE Now has helped reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in South Wales.

Police Now – which is a social enterprise that aims to transform communities by recruiting, developing, and inspiring diverse leaders in policing – has played a vital role in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in South Wales.

Communities where Police Now officers have been posted for the last 22-months have seen 38,772 fewer incidents of anti-social behaviour compared to the same time period from October 2016 – equivalent to a 14 per cent drop.

Officers on Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme have been working alongside their colleagues within their local neighbourhood teams.

As well as the drop in anti-social behaviour, communities have also seen 14,301 fewer incidents of criminal damage & arson – a fall of 13 per cent. There were 12,460 fewer incidents of burglary – a fall of 16 per cent – and 31,732 fewer incidents of theft, equivalent to a 14 per cent fall.

PC Lucy Tregidon of South Wales Police resolved an ongoing neighbour dispute that was causing almost daily anti-social behaviour calls to police. She worked with the Community Safety Partnership team to implement acceptable behaviour contracts for two of the people involved, which led to related calls to police reducing to just one a month – reducing a repeat demand on resources.

PC Tregidon also encouraged a woman to safely come down from a bridge in a situation where there were mental health concerns. The woman was not engaging with police at the scene, but one officer discovered she spoke a number of different languages.

PC Tregidon, a German and history graduate, asked the woman in German if she was happy to speak in that language. She established a rapport with the woman and persuaded her to leave the bridge and get into a police vehicle, where her mental health needs were assessed.

Reflecting on this incident, PC Tregidon said: “When I joined the police I assumed that my German would not ever come in useful in the Welsh valleys.

"I was really proud of being able to identify something that allowed me to establish a rapport with a vulnerable person, help her to engage with police and take control of the situation despite my lack of experience.”

Officers on Police Now’s programmes develop skills in leadership and problem-solving. They share a commitment to public service, fighting crime and inspiring social change alongside their colleagues.

Police Now has recruited a total of 1,830 officers across 33 forces in the UK, including South Wales Police. Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan has invested in his communities by partnering with Police Now for the past two years, with eight police constables and 22 detective constables joining the force via this route.

Police Now consistently recruits more officers who are women or from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds compared to any other entry route into policing. Police Now recruitment data shows that of those starting on Police Now's programmes in South Wales to date, more than two thirds (67 per cent) identified as women.

Co-founder of Police Now and former Detective Chief Inspector David Spencer, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the positive impact our participants continue to have within their local communities, and their commitment to driving positive change with their colleagues so that everyone in our society, including the most vulnerable, have a chance to thrive”.