* PCC Andy Dunbobbin outside police headquarters.
A new police boss has pledged to pull out all the
stops to combat the growing tide of online crime.
Tech savvy Andy Dunbobbin, 46, was speaking on his first official day in office as North Wales
Police and Crime Commissioner after succeeding Arfon Jones in the job.
Standing for Labour, father-of-two Mr Dunbobbin
said that winning the election was one of the proudest moments of his life and
he vowed to represent everyone in North Wales, regardless of their political
affiliations.
A native of Connah’s Quay in Flintshire, he is the
son and grandson of steelworkers whose family was hit hard when in 1980 British
Steel axed 6,500 jobs at Shotton Steel.
It‘s still the
biggest industrial redundancy on a single day in Western Europe and the cataclysmic economic and social blow and the decades of deprivation
it caused in Deeside forged his values and his view of the world.
But it was another family crisis, he said, that
inspired him to dedicate himself to the idea of public service.
He and his wife, Louise, took in four other
children as kinship carers and overnight they became a family of eight.
The support they received at the time persuaded Mr
Dunbobbin that he wanted to be in a position to do practical things to help
other people and in 2013 he was elected to Flintshire County Council.
His greatest professional claim to fame so far is
that he played a role in ensuring that the 2012 London Olympics was
successfully beamed across the world to an audience measured in billions.
At the time he was working as a technical team
leader for a local network company and was responsible for carrying out
rigorous checks on the vast array of technology used by the outside broadcast
units at the Olympic Games, the biggest sporting event in the world.
Fast forward to 2021 and he says the chance to
stand for election as the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner was an
opportunity that was too good to pass up.
He said: “I am passionate about the idea of public
service because a lot of things have happened in my life and I want to
serve the people of North Wales.
“Where there’s a challenge, I will always step up
to the plate. There have been things in my life – like being a kinship
carer for and going from a family four to being a family of eight overnight -
that have demonstrated my commitment to doing the right thing.
“When there’s a challenge, I will always step up to
the plate. I am rooted in the community and I want to make a positive
difference in people’s lives, learning from each other and working together so
that we all benefit.
“The reason I wanted to stand to become the North
Wales Police and Crime Commissioner is because I know how important it is
to keep families and communities safe. It really matters to people how safe and
secure they are.
“There is so much influence this role can have in
improving our can improve our communities.
“My manifesto is going to be like my blueprint for
the next three years to provide the strategic direction of North Wales Police
and that’s what I am going to be measured against.
“Crime does not just happen on the streets any
more, it also happens online and that is a massive challenge for the
police.
“Online crime manifests itself in so many different
ways, ranging from fraud to sexual exploitation and hate crime.
“The criminals are becoming more sophisticated by
the day and it is vital that the police also continue to be more tech savvy.
“Because of my background, I am used to using
really sophisticated software packages and equipment.
“We have to invest to make sure that North Wales
Police has the most up-to-date technology available to them to combat
online criminals. We want to future proof the force’s technology and ensure
greater value for money.
“I believe my knowledge and expertise in this area
will be a real strength.
“On the ground, I want to improve the visibility of
North Wales Police because we all know that prevention is better than cure – a
police presence provides reassurance to people.
“The Welsh Government has committed to increasing
the number of PCSOs in Wales from 500 to 600. I will be having conversations to
make sure that North Wales gets its fair share.
“Something else I feel strongly about is investing
in victim services, including setting up a victims’ panel. I want to give
victims a voice to give an opportunity to victims and survivors to tell us what
can be done better.
“North Wales Police is recognised throughout the UK
for the significant improvements they have made in terms of rural policing and
this is something I want to build on.
“Although I live in a largely urban area, I am
committed to providing the best possible policing service for the whole of
North Wales, including rural areas.”
Mr Dunbobbin also wanted to pay tribute to his
predecessor, Arfon Jones, who has retired.
He said: “Arfon needs to be congratulated on the
work he has achieved, particularly over the past year during the pandemic which
has caused unprecedented challenges for the force.”
Stephen Hughes, the Chief Executive of the Office
of the Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “On behalf of the team, I would
like to offer our sincere congratulations to Andy on winning the election to
become the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner.
“We look forward to supporting him to draft a new
Police and Crime Plan to outline the strategic priorities of North Wales Police
and to scrutinise the force to ensure that these objectives are carried out to
make North Wales an even safer place to live and work.”
