SOUTH WALES POLICE were expecting a group of around 150 youths from Carmarthenshire who arrived en masse in Swansea, a meeting has heard.
News of the planned gathering had circulated on social media the day before and was picked up by officers monitoring online activity.
Superintendent Mark Kavanagh said it was one of two planned mass gatherings which the force had become aware of through social media.
“They had all jumped on the train in Llanelli,” he said. “We knew it was coming.”
He said police resources were put in place in advance, along with a dispersal order giving officers powers to move people on from a defined area.
Supt Kavanagh was speaking at a Swansea Council committee meeting, which heard about the work of the multi-agency Safer Swansea Partnership. The group aims to make Swansea a safer and more welcoming place for residents and visitors.
The partnership has six key priorities, including reducing neighbourhood crime and anti-social behaviour, which formed a major part of the discussion.
Supt Kavanagh said the overall trend in reducing anti-social behaviour in Swansea was “very, very positive”.
However, he added that police were concerned about some young people in their early to mid-teens who were “on the cusp of engaging in violent crime” and other criminality.
He said police in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot were keen to avoid the situation seen in Cardiff, where stabbings involving young people had, he said, become very common. A dedicated serious violence board had now been set up to help tackle the issue.
Turning to anti-social behaviour, South Wales Police imposed a 48-hour dispersal order covering much of Swansea city centre last week following a rise in incidents over the Easter holidays.
Supt Kavanagh said the criteria for such orders were very strict and that they were not used lightly.
He said that in the previous six weeks large gatherings of youths had led to two police officers being assaulted, with one requiring medical attention, while a 71-year-old man had also been pushed to the ground.
“We’ve had a serious assault between two young people which was filmed and then broadcast on social media,” he said.
Cllr Chris Holley said he understood the reason for dispersal orders but was concerned they could put people off visiting the city centre.
He added: “The vast majority of youngsters in this city are great.”
Supt Kavanagh said police officers, community support officers and neighbourhood beat managers were very good at building rapport with young people, and that officers were also trying to get the message out to parents to remain vigilant.
Speaking during the recent dispersal order, Acting Chief Inspector Andrew Hedley said: “We stress that it is only a small cohort of young people who are engaging in this anti-social behaviour, and we do not want to deter the others from coming to the town centre and enjoying all it has to offer.”
Cllr Mike White said anti-social behaviour data showed an overall reduction in Swansea in 2025-26, but questioned whether this was being felt across all neighbourhoods.
Supt Kavanagh said the downward trend had been seen in Townhill, Gorseinon, Eastside and Morriston, among other areas.
He said there were also very localised hotspots, including Penlan, where a parking dispute had caused problems for the authorities. Swansea beach and the area behind Clydach Library were also highlighted as areas of concern.
The superintendent said he was particularly pleased with the willingness of partner organisations to support an operation in the Dyfatty area of the city, which a report before the scrutiny programme committee said had led to arrests and drug warrants.
Senior council officers also outlined prevention work being carried out by their teams, including youth club activities, talks in comprehensive schools and targeted support for young people whose behaviour was at risk of escalating.
Reducing substance misuse and drug-related deaths in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot is another of the partnership’s six priorities, and a rise in the use of ketamine was noted at the meeting.
Matthew Rafferty, from the area planning board which coordinates substance use services in the two counties, said heroin was less of a concern than previously, but warned that “poly-drug” use — involving more than one substance at the same time — was becoming a significant issue.
He said ketamine use among people aged 16 to 24 nationally had increased by more than 200 per cent since 2013, and that prices of around £10 per gram in some areas were significantly lower than cocaine.
He added that users frequently underestimated ketamine’s harms.
Julie Davies, the council’s head of child and family services, said a range of support was available to parents and young people, including fast-tracking to a specialist community drug and alcohol team.
She said the level of need was clear.
“Specifically we are finding crack cocaine among our families in Swansea,” she said.
