A new police scheme to help clean up Butetown has begun – but past tensions mean some people are unconvinced
RESIDENTS hope a police promise to “build a better Butetown” will last this time.
The new South Wales Police (SWP) scheme – Clear, Hold, Build – aims to tackle serious crime and help maintain low crime levels in the area while police presence decreases. It is known locally as ‘build a better Butetown’.
“In 15 years of policing this is the single most friendly community I have ever worked in,” said PCSO Neil Crowley, during the meeting at Red Sea House.
“But what I’m seeing now that I’ve never had before is people saying they actually need our help.”
However, he understands that the police may face issues of trust in the community due to both historic and more recent issues.
“We know there have been schemes like this before, but this time we won’t be walking in, arresting a few people, patting ourselves on the back and leaving,” he said.
Among the issues that have created a divide between the community an the police is the use of stop and search powers.
“I appreciate that I’m a white police officer coming into Butetown where 70% of people don’t look like me, but our stop and searches are always based on reliable intelligence,” said PCSO Crowley.
“We don’t want to destroy the community.
“People are worried that if we arrest their kids, they will be sent to prison for years. This isn’t the case. We want to arrest the dealers that are coming into Butetown and using the local boys as drug runners, not arrest them for being pulled into that lifestyle.”
PCSO Crowley said that 68% of people that are stopped and searched are in possession of drugs. He believes this shows that the powers are being well-used by police in Butetown because the national recomendation for police is that only 25% of people stopped and searched need to be found in possession of drugs.
He added that 16 of the last 17 drug dealers SWP have arrested in Butetown have been over the age of 17, with the oldest being 67.
Why the uneasy relationship?
As well as more recent issues, problems between the police and community go back to historic failures.
Infamously, ‘The Cardiff Five’ – who were either Butetown locals or had strong links to the area.- were wrongly accused of the murder of Lynette White in 1988.
This is not the first time that police have implemented new schemes in the area in a bid to improve community relations. And that is part of the reason why some people in the community are unconvinced.
“I remember after 9/11 we would have meetings between the community and the police every three months,” said Treasure, a Butetown resident, who didn’t want to give her surname.
“An officer would even come to my house to drive me there – it was great.”
But she said that the meetings didn’t last and within a few years relations had fallen back to how they were before.
“I don’t trust that it will work this time,” said Treasure.
“We don’t want another ‘ticked-box’ meeting.”
The Cardiffian spoke to several of Treasure’s friends after the meeting and they agreed with her feelings on the issue.
But not every resident feels the same as Treasure and some believe the people of Butetown also have a role to play.
“It’s all our responsibility – the police, the council, and the community,” said Mohammed Farah.
“We have to all work together but we can do it. I’m optimistic.”
What will the scheme actually do?
The police plan to hold monthly meetings to discuss actionable plans with the community.
At this first meeting, residents suggested that the Butetown pharmacy stop dispensing methadone – a substitute for heroin given to addicts. Currently the Butetown pharmacy is one of the only in Cardiff, which brings addicts to the area who then buy and sell drugs there.
PCOS Crowley thanked the residents for the suggestion and said it should be “easy” to do.
The scheme will also help young people get better access to jobs. The police and council have worked together to secure 10 places for employment at a branch of EE, and are currently talking with Admiral Insurance to do the same there.
The police also feed back to the community and PCOS Crowley was proud to announce that last year Butetown had its longest period on record without an incident of knife crime – five months to December 2024.
PCSO Crowley is changing his own hours to be available through the night for a few nights each month, along with planning other changes to make the community feel safer.
SWP has also already implemented some measures in the area, including extra gating, lighting and a CCTV van.
