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Croeso - Welcome

Welcome to another edition of my monthly bulletin which looks back at some of the highlights and key activities from July.

There were several key moments for me, which started with a Community Engagement Day in Llanelli at the beginning of the month, where I had the opportunity to meet with local community representatives and some organisations and businesses’ who provide support services in the area.

A notable event was the Y Sgwrs Youth Conference that was organised with my Youth Forum, where a report was published on a Survey they have been conducting over the last year discussing mental health support, substance misuse, and youth offending.   It was a great conference in which you can read about below.

You are probably aware of the escalating tensions in the Llanelli area in recent weeks, following the Home Office’s decision to accommodate asylum seekers at Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli. Earlier in July I wrote a second letter to Home Secretary Suella Braveman MP, calling for a ‘pause and review’ of their plans, both to ease the pressures on local services and to address the potentially serious and escalating tensions.

Another key activity was the Policing Accountability Board meeting that we held in Ysgol Gwernyfed, Three Cocks, Brecon.  The meeting specifically focused on Force performance, and considered data provided to us on 101 and 999 calls from our Force Command Centre.  Useful discussions took place around the continued rise in demand for emergency response.

The highlight of the month no doubt was visiting the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells once again this year, where I got to meet with and engage with the public and our key partners.  This year I had opportunities to have key discussions with Farmers’ Unions, Government Ministers and other partners on rural crime issues and violence against women and girls.

You can read about all of these activities below and by following the links.

If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with me to discuss any matters, please reach out and contact my office on email.

Thank you.

Dafydd Llywelyn

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner

Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week

The first week of July was Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week which aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it.

The campaign is organised by Resolve, the UK’s leading ASB and community safety organisation.  The awareness week features a series of events all across the UK involving Councils, Police Forces, Housing Associations, charities, community groups and sports clubs, and it was important for us to show our support again this year and urge members of the public not to suffer in silence if they experience ASB.

Incidents can be reported to the anti-social behaviour team at the local Council, or to the Police if people feel that they are at immediate risk or in danger.

An effective response to ASB requires innovation, a strong partnership between local agencies, and a mindset that puts victims first.

My annual St David’s Day conference in 2022, shone a light on the important challenge we face and opportunities available in tackling ASB with an input on the Dyfed-Powys approach to tackling ASB, which included how the force captures, records and manages anti-social behaviour; the role of co-ordinators and mediators, and the low level intervention and restorative approaches.

ASB is not low-level. It can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime.

Report published on youth survey findings discussing mental health support, substance mis-use and youth offending, as part of Youth Conference

One of the highlights of the month, was the Y Sgwrs Youth Conference that we held with our Youth Forum on the 5th of July at Parc y Scarets in Llanelli.  The aim of the conference was to discuss a report that has been prepared in collaboration with the Youth Forum, that analyses findings from their recent youth consultation titled Y Sgwrs.

Y Sgwrs (a Welsh title meaning ‘The Conversation’) asked young people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Powys and Pembrokeshire for their views and experiences of mental health support for young victims of crime, substance mis-use and youth offending.  The consultation asked teenagers and young adults to explain what works, what doesn’t and how things might be improved.

The consultation included an online survey, focus groups held locally by Youth Forum members, and feedback from young people who were at the recent Urdd National Eisteddfod in Llandovery.

The report was shared with organisations and individuals who work with young people at the Youth Conference with the report now been made available to the wider public.

Individuals responding to the survey and the focus groups all discussed the role of school and colleges and considered whether they could do more to provide better access to career and training opportunities. Those that took part noted that more could be done to cater to wider opportunities. Many also commented on improving access to learning more life skills and a wider choice of work experience and careers advice.

Staff from my office worked with Youth forum members to design a series of recommendations for both the Police and partner organisation to consider.  You can read the recommendations, as well as the report here.

I would like to express my gratitude to all the partners and young people who joined us at the Conference.  Together, we took a powerful step towards addressing crucial topics that impact our youth.

By working together with young people and local partners, we can explore innovative solutions and create a platform for open dialogue, ensuring the voices of young people are heard.

I will now aim to work closely with the Force and key partners to respond accordingly to the recommendations highlighted in the report, so that we can break barriers, and support one another in creating a safer and healthier environment for our youth. Together, we can make a real difference!

Calling for on Home Office to ‘Pause and Review’ plans to accommodate asylum seekers at Llanelli Hotel amid escalating local tensions

Earlier in the month, I wrote a second letter to Home Secretary Suella Braveman MP, calling for a ‘pause and review’ of plans by the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers at Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli.

There have been serious and escalating tensions in the area that have caused safety concerns for both local residents and contractors on site. There have also been legal disputes taking place over land ownership around the boundaries of the hotel grounds, which is adding to the complexity of the situation and increasing pressures on Police officers.

There is an urgent need for the Home Office to pause and review the dispersal of asylum seekers to the Hotel, both to ease the pressures on local services and to address the potentially serious and escalating tensions.

I would reiterate my support for the Welsh Government’s strategy, which is to house people in a dispersed model. This is sustainable in offering a longer-term solution for asylum seekers within the Dyfed-Powys area. It is a model that the people of Wales support, have embraced and have successfully delivered to re-settle Syrian, Afghan, Ukrainian and general asylum seekers in recent years.

The decisions made by the Home Office are in direct conflict with this. The model of accommodating large numbers of asylum seekers in one concentrated site is not the appropriate way to accommodate people who are seeking asylum.

It is disappointing to see once again a lack of local engagement or any form of consultation by the Home Office with local service providers to understand the impact of locating in excess of 200 asylum seekers at the site, which has resulted in unnecessary pressure being placed on local resources and service providers

I would further reiterate the importance of proactive communication from the Home Office in relation to this matter, both with local service providers and with the public.

Encouraging public to ‘make the right call’, following discussions on 101 & 999 performance data at Policing Accountability Board meeting

On 17 July, I chaired a meeting of Policing Accountability Board where discussions took place around the continued rise in demand for emergency response.

The data presented at the meeting showed that not only the demand is rising, but there has also been an increase in the average call duration since December 2022, with concerns that this has an impact on the average speed of answer.

In response to the concerns, and with us being at the beginning of the summer school holidays, where demand is expected to increase again, I am urging the public to consider the best way to contact the police in non-emergency situations, encouraging the exploration of alternative methods to dialling 101.

The focus of the Policing Accountability Board meeting, was on Priority 1 of the 2021 – 2025 Police and Crime Plan; Victims are Supported.

Under this priority, I request the Force to demonstrate efficient and effective responses to the public’s calls for help, which would support accurate levels of crime recording, and the identification of victims.

Accurate crime recording includes monitoring overall volumes and trends for 999 & 101 calls, with Dyfed-Powys Police presenting a paper on 999 & 101 data at the meeting.

The data showed that between July and December 2022, the Force experienced an average of 9% more 999 calls per month compared to the same period in 2021. This increase peaked in August, with the Force Command Centre dealing with 18% more calls during the month than the year before.

Dyfed-Powys Police 101 call data showed that over half of 101 calls related to non-police matters or requests for advice and guidance. These types of calls take longer to be answered as the Force prioritises higher risk calls.

If a crime is in progress, danger to life, or risk of serious injury and, or, damage to property this requires immediate attention and should always be reported through 999. However, it is equally important to recognise that not all incidents require the same level of urgency. For anything else, I urge the public to use alternative means of contacting the police, so that we can ensure that emergency lines remain available for those who truly need them.

In today's digital age, we are fortunate to have various channels through which we can connect with our local police force.

By utilising these alternative channels, we can collectively contribute to more responsive and efficient policing, allowing Dyfed-Powys Police to focus on critical situations while still addressing the concerns and needs of our community.

Key discussions on Rural Crime and Violence Against Women and Girls at this year’s Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells

It is was an honour to be in Builth Wells at the Royal Welsh Show once again this year.  While it is an agricultural show, there is something at the Show for everyone, and I’m proud of the welcome that is always on offer here to the 200,000 visitors.

I was at the Show this year for key discussions with Farmers’ Unions, Government Ministers and other partners on rural crime issues and violence against women and girls.

During the days I was there, I met with Deputy Minister of Social Partnership, National Farmers’ Union’s Welsh Representatives, the Wales Rural and Wildlife Crime Coordinator, and Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team to have key discussions on rural crime challenges in the Dyfed-Powys area and beyond.

I was also speaking at the launch of the Not In My Name campaign to end violence against women and girls, while also hosting a meeting with the Chief Executive of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Mr Phil Goulding, who was visiting the event.

The Royal Welsh Show is one of the most prestigious events of its type in Europe and is one of Wales’ flagship events that attracts over 200,000 visitors to the Dyfed-Powys Police Force area from all over the world. 

For me, as Police and Crime Commissioner, this show is an opportunity to engage with key partners to address critical matters that affect our rural communities. It is of utmost importance that we discuss and tackle the issue of violence against women and girls – in particular within our rural communities.  By working hand in hand with partners we can implement strategies that promote safety, support victims and hold offenders to account.

Having these constructive discussions with partners are invaluable in identifying collaborative and unique opportunities and practical solutions that can reinforce our dedication to making the Dyfed-Powys area a safer place for all.

I would like to congratulate the organisers and the local community at Builth Wells for another successful show.