Cost of Christmas
How much could crime cost you?
The Cost of Christmas explores the possible consequences in which crime could cost you. Whether it be a life lost, a written-off car, a petrified woman or a prison sentence, we are raising awareness of what the real could cost could be if you were to commit a crime.
Every year there too many families without their loved ones because of people deciding to drive after they’ve been to the pub, there are often many women petrified on Christmas Day because of the threats they receive from their ex or current partners, there are lives lost due to one punch incidents and there are families who have their Christmas presents stolen.
This is the real cost of Christmas, and we want you to think. How much could crime cost you?
Cost of Christmas shop is open for business
Fancy visiting our Cost of Christmas pop-up shop? It’s located in Swansea City Centre, in the Quadrant. Our grand opening is Friday the 29th of November, and we close on Christmas Eve. We are open between 10am until 4pm, seven days a week.
If you’d like to meet our officers from different teams, discuss our recruitment options, see a motorbike that’s been involved in a crash, read stories based on true events about the cost of people committing different crimes – pop us a visit!
Where to find us:
Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Swansea Central, Andrew Hedley, said: “At this time of year, a lot of us are out enjoying ourselves and buying gifts for friends and family, but sadly this will not be the same for everyone at Christmas.
“By opening our pop-up shop, we hope to raise awareness of crimes we see over Christmas, including domestic abuse, drink/drug driving, night-time economy-related violence, scams and acquisitive crime.
“We really want to get people to thinking twice about committing these crimes and to illustrate the consequences by showing how much crime could cost you. We also know that some people will be at risk of becoming a victim of abuse or another form of crime, so it’s important we are here to provide safety advice.”
Stories based on true events
Elliot, 62, was walking home from a Christmas Eve service when 34-year-old women riding a motorbike didn’t stop at a red light and hit Elliot.
Elliot died in hospital the next day.
The women had three pints that evening and decided to drive home. She was jailed for five years.
*The maximum penalty for causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs in the UK is life imprisonment.
Louise, 34, was on a night out with friends when she was attacked, unprovoked, by a 27-year-old-woman.
The woman attacked Louise’s face with a glass, causing serious injuries and damage to her eye.
The woman was jailed for nine years.
*The maximum penalty for causing Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) is five years in prison.
21-year-old Hassan was enjoying some drinks with friends but as he left the bar, was punched by 24-year-old Max.
This one punch caused Hassan to lose his balance and fall, hitting his head on a curb. He died a few days later.
Max said that he was sorry and that he acted differently when he took drugs. He was jailed for nine years.
*The maximum penalty for manslaughter in the UK is 10 years in prison.
James, 45, broke into a family home while they were asleep. He took Christmas presents, including four electronic devices, from under the tree.
The mum woke up to find James upstairs looking through cupboards before he fled.
James was caught and jailed for two years and six months.
*The maximum penalty for burglary in the UK is 14 years in prison.
Kevin told his girlfriend he loves her. But if things weren’t going his way, he would leave threatening and abusive voicemails, audio and text messages, social media posts and even threatened to stab her.
The girlfriend found the courage to come forward.
He was jailed for three years and six months.
*The maximum penalty for harassment in the UK is 14 years in prison.
Christmas demand
While demand increases during the festive period, our officers and staff, as they do every year, will continue to be visible in our communities across in the lead up and during the Christmas period to help ensure our South Wales communities are safe. Extra operations and resource have been put in place across the whole of South Wales to prioritise the safety of everyone in our communities.