View this email in your browser

Croeso - Welcome

Welcome to the latest edition of my monthly bulletin which is an opportunity to take a moment and reflect on the key activities that has taken place in recent weeks.

In this edition, I have several updates and highlights to share with you once again, including details of my annual St David’s Day Conference, which this year focused on Recognising Vulnerability within Offenders.  We had over 150 people in attendance either in person or online, and some interesting and thought provoking inputs by guest speakers, which you can read about below.

In the last month, I have been able to announce that we have been successful in securing £800,000 of funding from the Home Office to develop initiatives designed to reduce levels of Acquisitive Crime, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Anti-Social Behaviour, which underlines our commitment to working collaboratively with partners to find proactive solutions to these issues.

It gave me great pleasure to welcome a new member of staff to the team also. Dr Rhiannon Sandy has started in her role with us as an Evidence-Based Policing Research Co-ordinator.  This is a partnership role between my office and University of Wales Trinity Saint David which you can read about below.

Finally, in the last month you will have heard the concerning news that Welsh Government will be withdrawing the funding to the All Wales Schools Programm at the end of the financial year.  Below I have outlined my plans to fund the programme until the end of the academic year whilst also working with key stakeholders to explore future opportunities for the programme.

You can read about all these activities, and more below. Thank you once again for taking the time to read the bulletin.  If you have any questions, please reach out to my office on e-mail.

Dafydd Llywelyn

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner

Successful St David’s Day Conference

One of the highlights of the last month was my annual St David’s Day Conference, which was my eighth conference to date.  Over 150 people attended this year with the focus being on Recognising Vulnerability within Offenders.

Recognising vulnerability in offenders is essential for developing a more nuanced and effective approach to criminal justice.  Identifying and understanding vulnerabilities allows for targeted and effective interventions and will aid in reducing the risks of reoffending and victimisation.

By addressing the underlying issues that contribute to criminal behaviour, there is a better chance of breaking the cycle of reoffending and promoting long-term positive change.

The Conference provided an insight into how a range of organisations and support services providers work to understand an offender’s vulnerabilities; how they identify situations where offenders may be at risk of victimisation within the criminal justice system; and how they support inputting appropriate safeguards in place to protect vulnerable individuals from harm.

Approximately 100 guests attended the conference in person at Police Headquarters, with a further 65 attending online.

Guest speakers included, Michelle John, of PEGS Support, Rebecca Zerk and Elize Freeman of Aberystwyth University's Centre for Age, Gender and Social Justice; Mike Wilkinson, of New Pathways, Victoria Harris of HMPPS and Gemma Humphreys of The Nelson Trust.

I'm extremely grateful to all the speakers for their valuable input during the day, and for all attendees, who came along to develop their knowledge in this area and share their views and ideas.

£800kof funding secured for initiatives designed to reduce levels of Acquisitive Crime, Violence Against Women and Girls, and Anti-Social Behaviour across Dyfed-Powys

I am pleased to announce that we have secured funding of nearly £800,000 from the Home Office’s Safer Streets 5 Fund, by working closely with respected partners to develop several robust interventions.

Last year we submitted a total of five funding bids to the Safer Streets 5 fund, totalling almost £1million. However, funding cuts applied by the Home Office have meant that the revised award is now £795,481.

The five bids included a number of intervention initiatives that between them address Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), acquisitive crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Collaborators include Local Authorities and specialist sector partners including domestic abuse organisations. Securing £800,000 of funding for intervention initiatives targeting violence against women and girls, acquisitive crime and anti-social behaviour represents our relentless commitment to the safety and well-being of our communities.

This investment underlines our dedication to working collaboratively with local partners to find proactive solutions, and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact of these initiatives as we work to ensure a safer and more resilient communities for all.

Partnering with University of Wales Trinity Saint David to employ Evidence-Based Policing Research Coordinator

I am pleased to announce that we have partnered with University of Wales Trinity Saint David to employ an Evidence-Based Policing Research Coordinator for a two-year pilot period.

The overarching aim is to enhance the approach to Evidence-Based Policing in the Dyfed-Powys Police area, through broadening partnerships between local academic institutions, Dyfed-Powys Police and my Office. The post looks to encourage the translation of academic research into local practice, through training, problem-solving and projects. 

Dr Rhiannon Sandy commenced in the role on 5th February2024, and brings a wealth of experience from academia and work on the Police Degree programme.

Collaborating with institutions from the higher education sector has been a goal of mine for some time, and doing so specifically to ensure that best available evidence is used to inform and challenge policing policies, practices and decisions.

Providing an evidence base for our actions and investments is important and by harnessing the use of technology and data to shape our services, I am certain that further improvements can be made in ensuring the security and safety of our area.

My long-term aspiration is for the Dyfed-Powys Police area to be recognised as an evidence-based policing centre of excellence for Wales and beyond, and it’s fantastic to be collaborating with University of Wales Trinity Saint David on this exciting development.

Funding the School Beat Programme

In recent weeks I have written to Head Teachers of Schools across Dyfed-Powys, Councillors and the Children’s Commissioner to inform them of my decision to fund the School Beat programme in Dyfed-Powys until the end of the academic year following Welsh Government’s decision to withdraw the funding to the All Wales Schools programme at the end of the financial year.

I am fully supportive of the programme, which last academic delivered4,237 crime prevention sessions in schools, reaching 124,149 children across the Dyfed-Powys area last academic year.

I recognise that the reduction in support for school police officers could jeopardise the development of our children and young people. This is why, over the next few months I will be working with colleagues from all Forces across Wales to take stock and communicate with key stakeholders; I am committed to exploring the options for Policing to maintain its relationship with schools across the Force area in the future. I will ensure that the evidence of the value of the programme is readily available for consideration in the next term of office.

Domestic Homicide Oversight Mechanism

I am pleased to announce that in collaboration with Pembrokeshire Community Safety Partnership we have been successful in our application to participate in the Domestic Homicide Review Oversight Mechanism pilot.

This pilot is being facilitated by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office who hope to bring independence to the Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) process post publication of reviews to ensure that there is local and national accountability for the implementation of DHR recommendations as well as identifying common themes and trends and supporting change at a national level.

A DHR is a review of the circumstances of a death which has resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a person to whom the victim was related, had been in an intimate personal relationship with, or was a member of the same household. DHRs are one way to improve responses to domestic violence. They will try to ensure that public bodies like social services, councils, police and other community-based organisations understand what happened that led to the death and identify where responses to the situation could be improved. From this, the public bodies hope to learn all the right lessons including those which impact how they work together. These reviews do not seek to lay blame but to consider what happened and what could have been done differently.

The purpose of the local oversight pilot is to test and learn the best way for the Domestic Abuse Commissioner to oversee the implementation of recommendations and actions within DHRs, and to inform the development of the oversight mechanism for national roll out.  This will provide an opportunity to understand the capacity and resource required to carry out effective oversight. The pilot will ensure that learning is shared nationally, improving the effectiveness of DHR recommendations, and demonstrating where there is change following those recommendations.

The pilot will be carried out over a 12-month period and will include learning events and forums to share lessons learned. I look forward to seeing and learning from the outcomes of this exciting opportunity.

Community Engagement Days

This month I have been out engaging with community representatives across the Force area, which included a visit to South Powys, to learn more about road safety concerns on the A479 main trunk road.

I have also been on engagement visits to Carmarthenshire to see the work of the Community Payback Scheme in the region, and Pembrokeshire where I had the opportunity to meet with the Pembrokeshire Youth Offending Team, who were collaborating with School Beat Police Officers at Haverfordwest High School, to deliver an impactful 'Crime Time' session to Year 8 students, aimed at developing awareness and prevention strategies.

Read more here:

• South Powys Community Engagement Day

  
  

• Pembrokeshire Community Engagement Day

The 2024-25 Police Precept Notice

Earlier this year I announced that the police precept level for 2024-25 will increase the average band D property by 6.2%, or £19.38 per annum which is approximately £1.62 per month.

In setting the precept, I consider an array of factors, including inflation and cost pressures, the level of reserves, service demands, future investment requirements for critical infrastructure, efficiency and productivity plans, in addition to feedback from residents and businesses of the Dyfed-Powys area.

The Precept notice will be included within your Council Tax notices, and you can also view the Precept Notice details by clicking on the below link: