* North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones.
Plans
have been unveiled for a new task force of 20 police officers to spearhead a
crime prevention drive across North Wales.
The
proposal is one of the final flagship programmes of the region’s Police and
Crime Commissioner, Arfon Jones, who recently revealed he will be standing down
at the next election.
It’s
part of a bold plan revealed by the Commissioner in his final precept-setting
proposal for a 29p weekly increase.
The
5.14 per cent rise – around the cost of a Cadbury’s Freddo chocolate bar – will
cost the average householder, in Band D of Council Tax, just £14.94 a year.
It
is also in line with the Commissioner’s annual survey of the public which saw a
significant percentage of respondents, 45 per cent, in favour of an increase of
27p a week or more.
Mr Jones will be seeking the backing of the North
Wales Police and Crime Panel for the proposed increase at a virtual meeting on Tuesday,
February 2.
It
will help pay for the new Central Crime Prevention Hub to co-ordinate the work
of regional teams in North Wales Police’s East, Central and West Areas (based
in Llay, St Asaph and Caernarfon.
Mr
Jones, a former police inspector, who will be retiring at the next
election that’s currently scheduled for May, said: “The history of people in
prison shows that the vast majority will have had traumatic experiences as
children and we really need to focus on why and how to prevent that rather than
on punishing them.
“It’s
a culture change and police officers in North Wales are adapting very well and
I’m very pleased to see them looking at offenders in a different way.
“A
small proportion of offenders commit the vast majority of crime and if we can
look at the causes in a different way and intervene earlier in their lives then
that is better for them and for society.”
Mr
Jones added: “The Prevention Hub really ties in with my priorities and with
schemes like Checkpoint Cymru which aim to intercept people before they get
caught up in the criminal justice system.
“This
was we can address the root causes of criminal behaviour and stop the
re-offending patterns.
Despite the recurring £33 million a year cuts
inflicted on the force as a result of UK government austerity cuts since 2010, North Wales Police had succeeded in identifying a
further £2.9 million in savings to help bolster their programme for the next 12
months.
This
will also include an ambitious two-way digital communications project to keep
communities and their local policing teams in close contact.
Other
projects will cover domestic violence, sexual abuse, modern slavery and
delivering safer neighbourhoods and Mr Jones added: “We have had to produce
this precept plan at an unprecedented time because of the pandemic which has
disrupted almost all aspects of normal life.
“The
officers, staff, specials and volunteers of North Wales Police have responded
so positively to these extraordinary circumstances which have included the
postponement of the 2020 Police and Crime Commissioner elections to May 6,
2021.
“Now
is not the time to set new priorities for the Chief Constable and North Wales
Police who quite rightly need to focus all of their efforts on responding to
the current crisis while I have to ensure they have the resources to respond to
the emergency.”
