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Croeso - Welcome

The last month has been another busy period for myself and my Office with several key activities and events taking place, including the official opening of a new Policing hub and custody suite for Dyfed-Powys Police in Carmarthenshire.  This was a landmark occasion for us, and it was a privilege to open the brand-new facility and to finally see what was originally considered to be an ambitious vision, now becoming a reality.  

The development has been a significant investment for us which has provided us with a modern, sustainable fit for purpose policing hub and custody suite that will meet the needs and expectations of modern policing.  You can read more about the opening below.

Other key activities that I have been involved in over the last couple of weeks include attending the national Urdd Eisteddfod in Llandovery, which is the largest Youth festival in Europe, and an opportunity to engage with young people on the Y Sgwrs Consultation that my Youth Forum has been working on this year.

It was great also to share news with you of funding that I have provided for a specialist local service to deliver support to road victims in the Dyfed-Powys area for the next year.

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 contact my office on email.

Thank you.

Dafydd Llywelyn

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner

New Carmarthenshire Custody Suite and Policing base opens its door for first time

On 26 May 2023, we officially opened a new Carmarthenshire Custody Suite and Policing base in Dafen, Llanelli for Heddlu Dyfed-Powys Police.

Both myself and Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis opened the building in the company of local community representatives in Llanelli who were given an opportunity to walk around the new modern, sustainable development, which has taken over 18 months to construct.

Planning permission was granted to us by Carmarthenshire County Council back in April 2021 for the £18.6 million development.

As well as housing a new custody suite with 18 cells, some specialist departments and facilities will be based at the new policing hub as well as local response officers.  The Neighbourhood Policing Team will continue to work out of their base at Llanelli town centre.

It was a privilege for me to open the brand-new facility and to finally see what was originally considered to be an ambitious vision, now becoming a reality.   

This has been a significant investment for us which has provided us with a modern, sustainable fit for purpose policing hub and custody suite that will meet the needs and expectations of modern policing.

During the planning application process between 2020 and 2021, we engaged widely with the local community, and It was a pleasure to invite community representatives to the opening to mark the occasion.

I’ve worked extremely hard with partners for several years to ensure that we get to this position and I would like to thank everyone who has worked with us during its development.

Young people sharing their views on the impact of mental health, and alcohol and drugs mis-use on youth crime at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Llandovery

During the Urdd Eisteddfod in Llandovery at the end of May, we were asking young people to share their views and experiences of mental health issues, alcohol and drugs misuse, and youth offending.

The Urdd Eisteddfod is an annual Welsh language, youth festival of literature, music and performing arts which this year was hosted in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire between the 29th of May and the 3rd of June.

My Youth Forum launched ‘Y Sgwrs’ consultation in January, to hear from 14 to 24-year-olds living in each of the Dyfed Powys Police’s local authorities, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and Powys.

‘Y Sgwrs’ (a Welsh title meaning ‘The Conversation’) invited young people and professionals working with young people, to share their experiences of issues such as mental health, youth offending and substance misuse through an online survey and focus groups held by the youth forum.

As part of the consultation, teenagers and young adults were asked to explain what is working, what doesn’t and how things might be improved.

The last stage of the consultation was to ask young people at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Llandovery to share their views, before responses are reviewed ahead of a Youth Conference we will hold in July to share the findings with partners.

Also as part of the Urdd Eisteddfod, I provided funding for the Youth Justice team in Carmarthenshire to work with children and young children between 8 and 17, who are at risk of crime or have committed crimes on a creative project ran by the Urdd Eisteddfod.

Project 23 was a project aiming to give all children and young people the opportunity to get involved and develop the creative skills through themes such as local history, legends and belonging.

The project collaborated with the Youth Justice Team in Carmarthenshire to employ a creative practitioner to work closely with a young people to create murals and artwork for benches depicting the local heritage of Carmarthenshire.

The benches were on display at the Urdd Eisteddfod all week for visitors and competitors to use whilst at the festival.

Following the Eisteddfod, the benches will be distributed across parks and recreational areas within Carmarthenshire at the end of the Urdd Eisteddfod.

I strongly believe that Art and Culture can transform the lives of young people and influence their future. 

Providing creative opportunities and projects, such as project 23 will always inspire young people, and I was proud to support this activity that has provided a platform of positive upskilling activity for the young people of Carmarthenshire, who have been or at risk of being involved in crime.

Last month, I was proud to confirm funding for a specialist local service to deliver support to road victims in the Dyfed-Powys area for the next year (2023-24).

The funding comes as recently published figures confirmed that 19 people were killed in road collisions in Dyfed-Powys in 2021, while many more suffered serious and life changing injuries.

The support service is part of a National Road Victim Service run by road safety charity Brake.  Brake runs a UK wide service that supports families and individuals bereaved or suffering a life changing injury in a road collision in the UK, and for UK citizens bereaved or injured on roads abroad.

The funding will deliver the first Independent Road Victim Advocate service in Wales, providing a designated, local service to residents of Dyfed-Powys.

The Independent Road Victim Advocate is a professional, trained caseworker who can visit people in their home to provide the support they need when the worst happens. The advocate will help road victims understand the impact of trauma, find specialist support delivered by other organisations, and help them with practical matters such as finances, legal support and returning to work.

I cannot begin to  imagine the trauma experienced by families who suffer a bereavement or life-changing injury in a road collision and I hope that by funding this service delivered by Brake we can help alleviate some of that suffering, fear and uncertainty for victims in Dyfed-Powys.

Seeking victims’ views on barriers to reporting rape, domestic abuse and sexual assault

In May, we launched a consultation which includes an online survey and focus group sessions to better understand any barriers victims face, and to find out how Police can increase victims’ confidence in reporting such crimes.

The consultation will aim to understand why some victims are not reporting.  It will ask victims’ views on their preferred method of initial contact, what do they expect from the contact, and how much information regarding support services and the criminal justice process would a victim want at that initial contact. 

It takes enormous courage for victims to report rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse and domestic abuse.  Such crimes have a devastating impact on victims’ lives.  I am reassured that victims will always be treated with sensitivity and respect during an investigation conducted by Dyfed-Powys Police.  However, it is extremely important for us to seek victims’ views so that we can identify any barriers to reporting and look to improve services as a result.

Other highlights from the last month include…..

Endorsing the Mid and West Wales Safeguarding Board’s Children in Care Practice Guidance

This Mid and West Wales Safeguarding Board practice guidance has been produced to address the recommendations set out in the Welsh Governments ‘All Wales Protocol for reducing the criminalisation of care experienced children and young adults’, providing clear operational guidance for residential providers and agencies within the Criminal Justice System. The Mid and West Wales Safeguarding Board Practice aspires to reduce the unnecessary criminalisation of cared experienced children.  

Meeting with the Older People’s Commissioner Wales

I met with the Older People’s Commissioner Wales to discuss findings from a report titled ‘Improving support and services for older men experiencing domestic abuse’, published by the Office of the Older People’s Commissioner. The discussion also covered topics around the Older People’s Commissioner’s priorities and considerations were made around how my Office could provide further support for older people in the Dyfed-Powys area.