Three repeat offenders sentenced to a combined 37 weeks in prison as new policing team records early success in Montgomeryshire
NEIGHBOURHOOD Guarantee officers in Powys have wasted no time making their presence felt, with three prolific shoplifters jailed during the team’s first month on duty.
Dyfed-Powys Police said the new officers, brought in through Home Office-funded neighbourhood policing investment, have already delivered results after identifying shoplifting as a key concern for local businesses and communities.
In their first month, the team investigated and resolved 22 shoplifting offences, with 15 linked to just three repeat offenders. All three were charged and remanded in custody, later receiving a combined total of 37 weeks in prison.
Police said the remaining seven offences were dealt with through community resolution orders or education, using what the force described as a “victim-focused approach” designed to repair harm caused by crime.
The new officers are part of the Neighbourhood Guarantee initiative, which aims to strengthen crime prevention and community safety by increasing neighbourhood policing capacity.
The scheme has brought five additional neighbourhood officers to the Montgomeryshire area, who became operational in early March.
Since starting, they have been carrying out patrols in Newtown and Welshpool shopping areas, using a mix of high-visibility and plain clothes policing to disrupt offenders and deter crime.
The officers have also assisted other policing teams in locating high-risk offenders, responding to welfare concern calls, and dealing with road traffic collisions.
Chief Inspector Matthew Price, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said the early results were encouraging.
He said: “This has been a very positive start, and the benefits are already starting to show. I’m confident that the officers will carry this momentum forward and keep building connections with local people.
“This has given them a good platform to continue tackling community issues and preventing criminal activity with intelligence-led policing. Community engagement will be key to gathering this information and I’m encouraged to see this already being done.”
As well as crime prevention work, the new team has been engaging with the community by visiting Newtown College, where officers spoke to students about policing careers and promoted the Special Constable programme.
Special Constables are volunteer police officers who hold full police powers and work alongside full-time officers and PCSOs.
Dyfed-Powys Police said it is currently accepting applications for Special Constables, with successful candidates in Montgomeryshire expected to work closely with the new neighbourhood team following training.
More information is available via the Dyfed-Powys Police website.
