Crime chief urges public to obey new rules
THE police and crime commissioner for Dyfed Powys has urged the public to adhere to the new “fire-break” restrictions in Wales, and reminded holidaymakers and second home owners to remain at home.
Dafydd Llywelyn said First Minister Mark Drakeford’s announcement on October 19 came to him as no surprise.
“The only concern we have is if there is a too heavy reliance on police to enforce it,” he said.
The Plaid Cymru commissioner said demands on policing were high, although what he described as a night-time economy “bounceback” would be short-circuited by the stay-at-home rules from October 23 to November 9.
Mr Llywelyn said Wales’s eight commissioners and chief constables had been briefed by the Welsh Government last week on the “direction of travel” but hadn’t been given any details at that point.
Referring to the new restrictions, he said: “From a personal point of view, it’s much of what we got used to previously (the first lockdown).”
He added: “I live in south Ceredigion, and this is the first time since the virus has been in circulation that I’ve known people in the community who have got it.
“I know that’s perhaps to do with testing, but the virus certainly feels somewhat closer than it has done previously.”
Asked whether the months of lockdown and restrictions had had an impact on the supply of drugs into the force area, Mr Llywelyn said he thought not.
He said Dyfed Powys, which covers Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Powys, didn’t currently have an “active, embedded County Lines gang”, but he added: “Having said that, the market is still there.”