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Welcome to the latest edition of my bulletin that highlights some of the activities that I was involved in during May.

It was a busy month once again, with several key activities taking place, including two Policing Board meetings, where I hold Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis to account; a meeting of the Local Criminal Justice Board which I am Chair of, as well as an inaugural meeting of the Violence against Women Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Partnership Board, to name only a couple.

I also had an opportunity to meet with the All Wales People’s First Group to discuss concerns they wanted to raise with regards to police contact. Reporting to 101 and 999 remains a challenging area of business for police forces, and in May, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners launched a public survey on Police Contact, which asks the public for their views on their experiences of the 101 and 999 services, as well as preferences for future modes of contact. Details of the survey can be found below, and I would urge you to take a couple of minutes to complete the survey so that we can ensure we identify any issues that needs addressing on a local level.

In looking ahead to June, I am extremely pleased to be welcoming the Knife Angel sculpture back to the Force area. The iconic sculpture - which promotes key anti-violence and aggression messages will be in Aberystwyth throughout June. You can read all about its visit and the activities scheduled below, and I look forward to share some of its key achievements with you next month.

Thank you once again for taking time to read my bulletin. Please feel free to share wider, and if you have any questions, you are welcome to contact my Office.

Diolch yn fawr,

Dafydd Llywelyn

Police and Crime Commissioner

Aberystwyth Town to welcome Knife Angel sculpture

Over recent months I have been working alongside Dyfed-Powys Police, Aberystwyth Town Council and Ceredigion County Council to bring the Knife Angel back to the Force area, and I am pleased to announce that the sculpture will be coming to Llys y Brenin square, Aberystwyth in June where it will stand for four weeks as a physical reminder of the effects of violence and aggression.

The iconic sculpture - commissioned by the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry, Shropshire and created by artist Alfie Bradley – will be on display in the town until 29 June 2022.

This will be the second time that I have bought the Knife Angel to the Dyfed Powys Police Force area, with it’s first visit being in Newtown, Powys in January 2020.

I hope that the Knife Angel will greatly assist us in raising critical awareness of knife crime whilst creating a widespread intolerance to violent behaviour within our communities.

People asked for their views on 101 and 999 services

Residents of the Dyfed-Powys area are being asked to take a few minutes to tell police chiefs about their experiences of the 101 and 999 services, as well as preferences for future modes of contact.

The Police Contact Survey opened on 16 May, and runs until midnight on Sunday, June 26.

Participants are being asked a series of questions testing their understanding of emergency and non-emergency reporting systems, as well as newly emerging ways of contacting the police, like web chat, online forms and messaging over social media.

The survey, run by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, will help inform police forces, the Home Office and local commissioners on any challenges around reporting to the police and assist in forming plans for the future.

Reporting to 101 and 999 remains a challenging area of business for police forces. The needs of those making contact must be understood and forces must prioritise those most in need, meaning contact about routine items is sometimes not responded to as quickly as people would like.

In addition, new technology deployed by some forces presents significant opportunities to speed up responses and open lines of communication with people who might not be comfortable using traditional methods. As the voice of the public in policing, Police and Crime Commissioners are very keen to better understand their constituents’ views on these issues and will be urging as many people as possible to respond to the survey.

The survey can be completed by clicking on the below link.

Justice in Wales Now and in the Future - A statement by the four Welsh Police & Crime Commissioners

As the four Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales, we welcome the publication by Welsh Government of a substantial document which shows commitment and insight into the importance of justice in Wales. The work of Policing and the Criminal Justice System is inextricably linked with a range of devolved responsibilities and in recent years we have shown the benefit of co-operation across public services. We believe that the devolution of Policing and Criminal Justice – and indeed Civil Justice – is the logical next step in the devolution journey in response to the time and thought that has gone into the document.

We welcome the publication of the Welsh Government document as the first step in moving past the political debate in which we are now sharing our view to the practical and detailed discussions in which everyone will need to contribute.

Investment of £93m in Community Payback Schemes over the next 3 years.

Earlier this month I welcomed the news of a national investment in the Community Payback Scheme, as it was announced that the Government is to invest £93 million in the scheme over the next three years, to increase delivery to around 8 million hours a year.

Community Payback is a sentence of the court that requires people to carry out between 40 and 300 hours of work for the benefit of local communities. The number of hours to be completed is set by the Court and the delivery of that work is known as Community Payback (CP).

The Dyfed-Powys area is currently averaging around 950 hours per week working in the community.

CP projects in the area have recently been taking place at Dinefwr Park Llandeilo, St. Mary’s Catholic School Llanelli, Ysgol Llwyn Yr Eos Aberystwyth, Field Studies Council Pembroke, Brecon Cathedral, Newtown Wetlands project and Help the Homeless in Builth Wells.

The scheme can help reconnect offenders to society. By helping to improve the environment they live in, they are more likely to appreciate their surroundings and are less likely to commit petty crimes such as vandalism as a result

It’s a payback to the community, for crimes against the community, and I welcome the recent news of further investment in the Scheme over the next three years.