Operation Gingerbread, the initiative set up to combat anti-social behaviour and criminal damage to school buildings will continue to run in Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy throughout the Easter holidays.
Operation Gingerbread is co-ordinated by Community Safety Partnerships with police and council security teams patrolling school sites in their areas as a matter of routine.
An additional tool is the efficient use of North Wales Police helicopter. A spokesman for the Air Support team said: “One flight will incorporate a number of tasks so we ensure the optimum use of our time in the air. On route back to our base we can easily check several schools without the need to deviate from our path or slow the journey time.
“We are able to do this using the sophisticated equipment we have on board to best effect.”
Chief Superintendent Ruth Purdie, Chair of the Wrexham Community Safety Partnership said: “Operation Gingerbread is an excellent example of partnership work.
“It demonstrates how agencies can come together to address problems of this nature. Incidents of criminal damage and anti social behaviour in school grounds tend to increase during school holiday periods and we are determined to reduce this trend.”
Chief Superintendent Simon Humphreys, Chair of Conwy and Denbighshire Community Safety Partnerships said: “By working together we are reducing criminal damage and anti social behaviour. I’d ask members of the public to report suspicious behaviour at school sites, we can then check things out and ensure our local schools are not damaged, and people behave in a way which does not cause nuisance.”
If anyone witnesses or has information about vandalism or anti social behaviour on school premises please contact North Wales Police on 101 , or 0845 607 1001 (Welsh line) 0845 607 1002 (English line) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
