New North Wales commissioner Winston Roddick says getting more officers on the streets is his priority, the BBC reports on its local news website.
And the story contrasts the different approaches to policing by taken by the comissioners who all started in their new positions today (Thursday) following last week's elections.
And the story contrasts the different approaches to policing by taken by the comissioners who all started in their new positions today (Thursday) following last week's elections.
The commissioners have the power to set policing priorities and force budgets, and also to hire and fire chief constables.
Speaking to BBC Wales before taking up his new office, Mr Roddick said he had pledged to get more officers on the beat and he would be sticking to that priority.
He said: "The important thing is to ensure there are enough police officers on the streets, so they are able to cope with the crimes taking place."
Mr Roddick stood as an independent candidate for the north Wales post, and was the Welsh government's former top legal officer, as well as being a senior judge.
The BBC story goes on to say he will be working with Mark Polin, the chief constable
of North Wales Police, who warned the outgoing police authority this week that
his force had already been stretched dealing with a series of major
incidents.Mr Roddick's (pictured right with Alun Michael, left) counterpart in south Wales, the former Labour MP and ex-Home Office minister Alun Michael, has also been setting out his priorities.
In an interview with BBC Radio Wales, he accepted that the south Wales force faced major funding challenges.
"There is a massive reduction in the finance from central government," he said.
"That's having a dramatic effect, though I think the South Wales Police and the previous police authority have responded pretty well in the way they have dealt with an unacceptable situation.
"We have to get the finances right."
He also rejected the comments from Mr Roddick about more police on the streets.
"It's too crude. People don't want people on the beat just for the sake of seeing them," he argued.
"The public are more sophisticated than just asking for bobbies on the
beat."
You were right to report that "Mr Roddick stood as an independent candidate for the north Wales post..." Yes, he did, but it has emerged since that he is in fact a member of the Liberal Democrats, a fact he omitted to include in his election literature and failed top mention in radio interviews.
ReplyDeleteCan we trust him?