'Policing drive is of little impact'.

Byline: By David James  South Wales Echo 

Angry residents of a city suburb told police a new community policing project was making no difference to their lives.

In the most hostile of three Partnerships and Communities Together - or Pact - meetings across Cardiff at the weekend, around 40 residents of Caerau attended a meeting with officers at Western Leisure Centre yesterday.

They reported groups of youths from 50 to 150-strong gathering on street corners, smoking drugs and drinking, yet said police seemed unable to help.

One resident said: 'We talked about all of this last time and nothing was done.'

Another said: 'If you threaten to call the police, they just swear at you and say the police won't come.'

Caerau and Ely Inspector Lynne Ashby defended her staff and said that residents would not necessarily know about action that police were taking through the anti-social behaviour process.

When residents criticised the slow Asbo process, she said: 'We have to follow the legislation. It can take up to 12 months to get an Asbo.'

Residents of Grangetown were more positive about a Police and Communities Together project at a meeting at St Sampson's Church on Friday.

After hearing that police had spoken to around 14 prostitutes following the first meeting in May, residents set priorities of youth annoyance, rubbish in a particular back alley, and prostitution.

At a meeting in Old St Mellons, at Tyr Winch park yesterday, residents were promised that the number of community police and CSO officers in the east of Cardiff would see a big increase by November.

Eastern sector Inspector Dave Offside said the current five community officers would grow to 28 with up to 10 Police Community Support Officers and five sergeants.

He reassured residents that action had been taken to speak to youngsters causing problems around The Ton area, near Newport Road.

And the meeting set priorities of youth annoyance and parking for police to work on before the next meeting, to be held in July.