SEVERAL incidents relating to anti-social behaviour and dispersal orders in one ward in Newport have raised interesting questions about behaviour in the area itself. 

Bettws, a large electoral ward in Newport, has been the site of at least four separate dispersal orders by Gwent Police since the beginning of 2024.

On Sunday, March 24, a dispersal order was issued following a spate of antisocial behaviour.

Bettws shopping centreBettws shopping centre (Image: Newsquest)

Within that same week, a second dispersal order was issued on Wednesday, March 27.

On Saturday, April 6, another dispersal order was in enforced.

The latest in the series of dispersal orders came into force on Wednesday, July 10, after several reports of anti-social behaviour.

The dispersal orders give officers extra powers to disperse people in the area under the Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act.

The dispersal orders give officers extra powers to disperse people in the area under the Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act.The dispersal orders give officers extra powers to disperse people in the area under the Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act. (Image: Canva)

Along with the dispersal orders in Bettws, drugs raids in the area are frequent, with two raids having taken place in the area just this week. Three were arrested in a drugs raid on Monday, July 8, while another nine were arrested on Thursday, July 11.

The area of Bettws seems ripe for crimes of an anti-social nature - at the end of May 2024, the Bettws Health Clinic, a branch surgery of Bellevue Group Practice under the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, was vandalised.

But does this indicate an underlying issue in the area of Bettws in Newport?

Population

According to Census 2021 figures, Bettws in Newport has a total population of around 8,300 people.

Bettws population and age figuresBettws population and age figures (Image: ONS)

This is made up of approximately:

  • 63 per cent of people aged between 16 to 64,

  • 21 per cent being 15-years-of-age or under, and,

  • 16 per cent being over the age of 65.

Education

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) carried out a study looking into the 'education and social care background of young people who interact with the criminal justice system' in May 2022.

In the findings of its research, the ONS said: "Young adults who received custodial sentences had lower levels of educational attainment, with 36.9% achieving the expected level of English and maths by the end of key stage 2 compared with 53.0% of their peers with non-custodial sentences or cautions, and 72.4% of those without criminal convictions."

Taking education into account of how well an area is doing economically and on a societal level, ONS figures show the following results for education-level in Bettws.

Sex, general health and economic activity status figuresSex, general health and economic activity status figures (Image: ONS)

  • 31 per cent of those aged 16 or over have no education qualifications,

  • 42 per cent have level 1, 2 or 3 qualifications as their highest level of qualification (GCSEs to A-levels), and,

  • 19 per cent have level 4 qualifications and above as their highest level of qualification (degree-level or NVQ).

Employment

The census data showed that 58 per cent of people in Bettws over the age of 16 did not work in the past 12 months, while 32.9 per cent had never worked.

Employment history and highest level of qualification figuresEmployment history and highest level of qualification figures (Image: ONS)

A further 9 per cent said they were not in employment but held a job in the last 12 months.

Turning to economic activity, approximately 51 per cent of residents were in employment of some kind.

4.1 per cent said they were 'economically active but unemployed', and 46 per cent were 'economically inactive'.

Let us know if you live in Bettws, have experienced anti-social behaviour, or believe these figures to be an accurate reflection of the ward.