Policing priorities right, says top cop
NORTH Wales chief constable Mark Polin yesterday insisted priorities for his force “are right” as a new blueprint for policing was unveiled.
Following a recent wave of violence at Rhyl and concerns about drug use at Wrexham, Mr Polin also maintained north Wales was one of the safest places to live and work. He claimed “public confidence and satisfaction in what we do has been increasing for some time.”
The area’s police commissioner Arfon Jones has vowed to bring more sex offenders to justice as one of five priorities in his Police and Crime Plan.
Other key areas include domestic violence, modern slavery and human trafficking, organised crime and delivering safer neighbourhoods.
Mr Jones, a retired police officer, said: “My vision for policing north Wales is based on reducing threat, risk and harm by identifying the most vulnerable people in society and ensuring they are the priority for the Police and Crime Plan.
“Three of the five priorities are based around vulnerability and I am delivering on the promises I made in my manifesto before I was elected.
“The plan also reflects the changing face of policing with the emerging and often hidden crimes like modern slavery and human trafficking and child sexual exploitation, with the threat posed by online paedophiles.
“The number of rape and other serious sexual assaults reported to the police is high. However, they remain under-reported and more needs to be done to encourage victims to come forward, regardless of when the crime was committed.”
Mr Polin insisted: “This is going to be an effective strategy for policing north Wales and we are already geared up to delivering the objectives. The plan is fit for purpose, the priorities are right and we are already responding to them.
“The emerging crimes like child sexual exploitation and modern slavery affect the police service across England and Wales and we are concerned to identify the new risks and threats to our communities.
“We are responding to them appropriately and robustly in conjunction with our partners.
“It’s also important to recognise that north Wales is one of the safest places to live and work and that public confidence and satisfaction in what we do has been increasing for some time.
The commissioner also said in his report on police objectives that officers must enforce the law on drugs. But he added: “Drug addicts should be treated as patients rather than criminals.”