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High approval scores for North Wales Police


June 11, 2020 - 865 views

Trusted, dealing with what matters and keeping people safe, these are the conclusions being drawn from a survey into public confidence in North Wales Police.

Nearly ninety percent of residents say they have confidence in the way North Wales is policed and more than 7 in 10 believe the region is safer than the rest of the United Kingdom.

The findings are in an independent report commissioned by the force into public confidence and carried out by Opinion Research Services between October and December 2019.

The telephone survey covered specific issues asking residents for their opinions on such matters as public confidence, quality of service and policing priorities and found that the force scored highly for its approach across most areas.

A high 89% of residents say they have confidence in North Wales Police while a substantial majority (92%) feel safe in their homes and in their local community day and night (94% in the day 71% at night). Most people in North Wales (86%) also feel generally safe from crime and disorder.

Residents were asked about policing resources and 60% responded that in their view the force is under resourced although three quarters say the police do a good or excellent job in their area and a reassuring 79% believe officers have a good understanding of the issues facing our varied communities.

Residents were also asked to rate various policing priorities in terms of importance. Overall, residents feel the most important priorities for North Wales Police are protecting children and young people from sexual exploitation and abuse; answering and responding promptly to emergency calls; tackling organised crime and preventing serious harm; and protecting children online.

Deputy Chief Constable, Richard Debicki welcomed the survey’s findings. He said; “It’s reassuring to see that the vast majority of people have confidence in the work we are doing to help make North Wales the safest place in the UK and that they share our key priorities.

“We have placed a significant emphasis on protecting vulnerable people – victims of domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation, modern day slavery, sexual abuse and organised crime.

“In line with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Plan we will continue to focus our efforts in protecting the most vulnerable people in society.

“Our communities rightly want to be reassured that we are protecting them, that they will get help when they need it, and that they are able to talk to people who understand their problems. The findings of this report demonstrate that we are doing just that and with the public’s support we will continue to do so.

“We are absolutely not complacent though, and we know from our role in helping to stop the spread of COVID 19 and working to protect the NHS that we need to have the support and help of our communities – the public have really helped us throughout, which I believe is testimony to the strong relationships that we have, and I am really grateful for that. We will do everything that we can to maintain and build that trust.”

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones said; “The results of this survey are a real vote of confidence in North Wales Police by the people who live here.

“The findings are a tribute to the skill and dedication of the force’s officers and staff who do a brilliant job in often difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances.

“I would particularly commend the force on the way they have delivered the priorities of my Police and Crime Plan which is essentially the blueprint for policing North Wales.”