07/10/2005 - Key partner
organisations lead by Environment Agency Wales
met recently in St Asaph to review progress
in their campaign to tackle environmental
crime in North Wales and the Chester area.
The meeting of the Environmental Crimewatch
Forum was an opportunity for representatives
to review the first six months of the operation.
This is a joint pilot project between the
Agency, local authorities and other partners,
which has been developed to tackle all environmental
crime, initially targeting flytipping, illegal
fishing and industrial waste offences. Various
methods are being used to catch those responsible
including covert surveillance.
The project has raised awareness of environmental
crimes and gathered vital intelligence on
flytipping hotspots. It has also focused on
the most efficient deployment of numerous
surveillance systems. Those present also heard
how the project had built up excellent working
relationships between the partners.
Successful surveillance operations have been
mounted and warning signs installed to deter
people from committing such crimes.
Project members have also attended many local
events across North Wales to raise the awareness
of flytipping and other environmental crimes
and offer advice and support on how to operate
legally.
Steve Moore, the Agency’s Northern Area Manager
said:
"We are really pleased with the success
of the pilot to date, campaigns across North
Wales have already resulted in a variety of
enforcement actions. The related is ensuring
that the public and key industries are getting
the message that activity such as flytipping
is illegal and will not be tolerated.
A fly tipped incident occurs every four minutes
in Wales and costs the public purse millions
of pounds to clear up. It is fundamental that
we get public support for this work and with
their eyes and ears work together to stamp
out this anti social and unnecessary aspect
of environmental crime.
The campaign is part of a wider package of
activity that we and our partners are carrying
out with the support of the Welsh Assembly
Government, this includes raising awareness
with key groups of ways in which environmental
issues can be better managed.
The partnership has been installing 'crimewatch'
signage in targeted areas, as Steve Moore
concludes "we are all doing our very
best to help people protect their environment,
for those who are choosing to operate outside
the law, we will be watching".
