Police confess they're struggling to cope
Figures released in a county council report show alcohol-related crime in Chepstow town centre is such a major concern police fear it could soon become "unmanageable".
The shocking statistics were released as Monmouthshire County Council's Licensing Committee decide whether a cumulative impact policy should be included when considering new applications for licensed premises in Chepstow Town Centre.
Comparison figures collated by Gwent Police in the report show an alarming proportion of violent crime in Chepstow influenced by alcohol compared with other towns across Monmouthshire.
The results of the study show that from January 1, 2006, to July 31, 2007, Chepstow accounted for almost half of the violent crimes involving alcohol in Monmouthshire, with its tally of 215 crimes in this category almost equal to Abergavenny, Caldicot and Monmouth combined.
The report goes on to describe some of the difficulties police in Chepstow are facing in trying to deal with alcohol related crime in the area. It states that the standard police shift pattern operated in the town has been altered to 5pm to 3am to ensure extra resources are available to police in the town centre between 10pm and 3am on Friday and Saturday.
And that "this inevitably has a knock on effect of policing areas outside the Town Centre."
It also mentions that "the present situation is barely manageable" and police fear that if more licensed premises are opened in Chepstow the situation could "be unmanageable every weekend."
The proposed Draft Licensing Policy for Chepstow would see the potential adverse effects of a significant number of pubs and clubs in one concentrated area taken into account when a new license application is received.
The Licensing Committee at Monmouthshire County Council have begun consultation on the policy, which will go before Full Council on November 22, where a decision will be made whether to go ahead with the change of the Licensing Act or not.
Source: Free Press
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