June 28, 2025 - 585 views
Over £200,000 worth of drugs and criminal cash have been taken off the streets of Bangor following the introduction of Clear Hold Build.
Data collected since the beginning of March has revealed that the number of people being charged or given out of court disposals following a crime has increased, including 22.3% more positive results following a shoplifting incident and nearly 43% more people being dealt with for carrying a knife.
Additionally, reported incidents of anti-social behaviour are down by 7.8% and reports of knife crime are down by 50%.
The multi-agency project has seen the Clear Hold Build team, known locally as Renew Bangor, working with partners on 13 operations over four months, with the aim of tackling drug supply, violence and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.
Proactive patrols and warrants undertaken have resulted in over £160,000 worth of class A and B drugs and over £60k worth of cash being seized and substantial amount of stolen items recovered.
Following the initial success, the team will continue to work with key partners collaboratively to begin planning the next phase of the project.
Superintendent Arwel Hughes said: “I am extremely pleased to see the positive impact that the multi-agency approach is having in the city centre and beyond.
“The team have worked tirelessly to tackle the issues that cause the most concern in the community as part of the ‘clear’ phase of the project.
“We will continue to work closely with partners to continue to make Bangor a hostile place for criminals to operate and to improve the city centre for community members.”
Anybody with information about drugs or criminality in Bangor should contact police via our website or by calling 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers.
Clear Hold Build is a three-phase initiative that uses a combination of targeted high-visibility police operations alongside activity and support from partners and residents to protect our communities and prevent organised crime groups from operating.
