Dyfed-Powys Police has received almost half a million pounds to target areas with the most violence and anti-social behaviour.

The force will increase their presence in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion thanks to funding from the home office.

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) hotspots will experience an extra 11,000 hours of police patrols over the next eight months.

Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis said: “Antisocial behaviour can have a serious impact on the quality of life on people who want to go about their daily lives. 

“These hotspots have been selected as the areas experiencing the highest volumes of violence and antisocial behaviour offences and based on local intelligence. 

“The patrols aim to provide a reassuring presence to help people feel safe while also proactively disrupting crime and acting as a deterrent.” 

In Carmarthenshire, patrols are focusing on issues in Ammanford, Tyisha, Elli, Llanelli town and Carmarthen town.

In Pembrokeshire, Haverfordwest town centre and Tenby town centre are considered ASB hotspots.

Meanwhile, Aberystwyth and Aberaeron are the areas police will tackle problems in Ceredigion.

The funding will allow the home office to collaborate with local authorities and Dyfed-Powys Police to reduce the amount of anti-social behaviour.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn added: “ASB can have an overwhelming impact on its victims and, in some cases, on the wider community.  

“An effective response to antisocial behaviour requires innovation, strong partnerships between local agencies, and a mindset that puts victims first. These ASB Hotspot initiatives aim to achieve just that.” 

During the next eight months, police will report outcomes such as hours of visible foot patrols, weapons recovered, number of arrests, number of ASB powers used, and number of stop searches to the home office.

Officers are also conducting surveys in hotspots to better understand the concerns associated with each area.

At the start of the year, UK government announced that every police force in Wales would receive £1 million to ramp up patrols targeting violence and disorder in areas with high levels of anti-social behaviour.

This came after successful piloting of the approach in ten areas which saw more than 80,000 hours of patrols in the six months before the scheme launched.