‘Warnings ignored’

POTENTIALLY lifesaving equipment that will help rescue crews deal with flooding has arrived.

Inflatable powerboats, pumps and “water incident units” have been purchased by fire services across Wales after the Welsh Government introduced a new duty on crews to respond to flooding and water rescue emergencies.

Nearly £2m has been provided to meet the new duty, and crews were on the Menai Strait on Monday to test out their new gear.

Darren Jones, of North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This funding has enabled us to invest in the highest specification of equipment. It will improve the capabilities and safety of personnel, giving us the best resources to help us protect communities.”

Firefighters were called to almost 2,000 flooding and water-related incidents over the past three years across Wales. POLICE federation chiefs have reacted angrily after violent crime figures soared by more than 90% over the past nine years.

According to the Office for National Statistics in North Wales, there were 16,284 violence-against- the-person crimes reported during the year to September 2017.

In the year ending September 2009 there were 8,414 reports, showing a rise of 94%

Over the same period, the fulltime equivalent number of police officers fell by seven per cent, from 1,595 in September 2009 to 1,487 in September 2017 – a loss of 108 officers.

A leaked Home Office document shown to The Guardian suggests a possible link between rising crime rates and falling police numbers.

The “Serious Violence; Latest Evidence on the Drivers” papers states that, as crime demand has grown and officer numbers have fallen, “so resources dedicated to serious violence have come under pressure and charge rates have dropped.

“This may have encouraged offenders.”

North Wales Police Federation chairman Simon Newport said it was “incredulous” to believe the reduction in police numbers had nothing to do with the increase in violent crime.

He said: “The Federation has, over that last seven years, continually warned governments that the sustained and savage cuts to police officers and budgets would be catastrophic and put the public at risk.

“Repeatedly our warnings were rebuffed, calling our warnings scaremongering.

“The number of front-line police officers engaged in uniformed response and community neighbourhood duties has declined.

“The engagement between communities’ and community leaders has drastically reduced leading to developing suspicion and mistrust, a loss of intelligence and a stretched workforce.”

In the past year, ONS figures for North Wales show a 28% rise in violent crime, up from 12,696 cases, although police numbers have risen by three per cent or 45 officers.

Across England and Wales, there was a 20% rise in violent crime, made up of violence against the person, both with and without injury, and homicide, in a year.

In the year ending September 2016, 1.08m violent crimes were reported, rising to 1.29m in the year ending September 2017.

Compared to the year ending September 2009, when there were 706,859 reports, there has been a 114% rise, according to the ONS, with most forces seeing a low in the number of reports in 2012 or 2013.

Over the same period, police forces across England and Wales have lost 22,155 officers, a 15% drop between September 2009September 2017, according to the Home Office. Police numbers have dropped by one per cent in the past year, from 126,252 fulltime equivalent officers in September 2016 to 125,364 in September 2017, a loss of 888.

North Wales Police and Crime Commisioner, Arfon Jones, was not available for comment.