Police reveal challenges of patrolling city

POLICE have opened up on the major challenges they face while working on Cardiff’s busiest streets.

At a Cardiff council licensing subcommittee meeting, which met to decide whether or not to grant a premises license to a new takeaway, South Wales Police (SWP) recalled a number of violent incidents that took place on St Mary Street, Queen Street and Caroline Street this year.

The police, who were objecting to plans for a proposed new takeaway called Flaming Dragon to sell alcohol for consumption on and off the site, showed footage of a number of fights taking place in the city centre.

They also showed footage of one person carrying a machete on St Mary Street.

One of the main purposes of showing the footage, as one officer pointed out, was to highlight the importance of having a cumulative impact assessment policy in place in Cardiff city centre.

This policy aims to reduce the number of alcohol-related incidents in the city centre and discourage the opening of late opening businesses that sell alcohol in certain area.

From April 25 to October 25, 2022, between the hours of 2am and 6.59am there were 326 incidents across St Mary Street, Queen Street and Caroline Street that required police attendance, according to SWP.

Of those 326 incidents, 38% involved violence. SWP also revealed that 198 of those 326 incidents happened on St Mary Street alone. On Queen Street, the number of incidents was 92 and on Caroline Street it was 36.

The applicant suggested a number of measures to prevent any incidents happening at their takeaway, including a Challenge 25 policy and installing CCTV. During the meeting, the applicant also suggested an amendment to their application to only allow the sale of alcohol for consumption at the premises.

Bill Freeman, who was representing the applicant, said the applicant had also amended the proposed closing time from 5am to 3am.

In their written representation to the council, SWP said: “There is a requirement under the cumulative impact assessment policy for the applicant to demonstrate that their application is exceptional and will not adversely impact the licensing objectives.

“The applicant has offered very little to reassure South Wales Police that they will not add to the cumulative impact within the local community area.”

The letter added: “The location of the premise is proposed to be located between McDonald’s and the Spar on St Mary Street, Cardiff.

“The area is currently of particular concern due to the high demand of policing the area requires and the high amount of crime and disorder that the area is currently experiencing, specifically during the late night hours.

“As a result of the above South Wales Police have serious concerns regarding an additional premise adding to the demand on policing in an already saturated area of late-night premises.”

The council’s licensing subcommittee refused the application.