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North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin, recently visited the Lloyd Williams & Hughes Auction Centre in Bryncir, Garndolbenmaen, to engage with the local rural community and to see how the centre provides a valuable forum for the community in the area.
The Commissioner was introduced to key figures in the centre, as well as attendees, by Farmers’ Union of Wales Senior County Executive Officer for Caernarfonshire, Gwynedd Watkin.
During the visit, the Commissioner listened to the views of farming and agricultural workers in the area and discussed their concerns regarding crime and emerging trends they had experienced. The visit provided the Commissioner with an opportunity to liaise directly with Auction Centre attendees and discuss his key priority of tackling and preventing rural and wildlife crime.
The event was also attended by North Wales Police Rural Crime team Sergeant Peter Evans, who was on hand to offer practical advice to attendees on how they can keep themselves safe in the fight against crime. Sergeant Evans provided an update to attendees on local crime issues and discussed how they could best protect agricultural equipment from potential theft and how technology can assist with ‘tagging’ equipment for recovery in the event of a burglary.
The Bryncir Auction Centre is a market for agricultural livestock sales and operates two days a week. Attended by approximately 300 individuals weekly, the Auction Centre also acts as a social hub for those in the community, allowing for farmers and farm workers to meet each other and discuss the key issues of the moment in agriculture. During the visit the Commissioner was told how the Auction Centre was saved by the local agricultural community, with the support of both the National Farmers Union and the Farmers Union of Wales in 2001, after the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, following concerns that there would be no market of this provision in the Caernarfonshire area.
North Wales Police & Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: “I understand the challenges that face residents in rural communities, who can often feel especially vulnerable due to the location of their homes, away from close neighbours.
“My Police & Crime Plan says how I plan to keep farmers and rural businesses safe and how I am determined to work even closer with the Force’s Rural Crime Team to make sure we prevent crimes such as theft and anti-social behaviour.
“I remain committed to cutting rural and wildlife crime and I appreciated the chance to hear first-hand many of the topics that concern our farming and rural community, and what their experience with policing has been to this point.
“I would like to thank the farming community in Bryncir for their warm welcome and for their time in voicing their opinions and concerns and sharing with me the remarkable story behind the Auction Centre’s success. I’d also like to thank Sergeant Evans for joining me to demonstrate the wider commitment of North Wales Police in serving the rural community.”
Farmers’ Union of Wales Senior County Executive Officer Gwynedd Watkin said: “We were pleased to have the PCC attend Bryncir Auction Centre and pledge his support in keeping our community safe.
“The visit provided a great opportunity for the farming community in the area to put a ‘face to the name’ and for them to be able to voice their concerns and opinions to the Commissioner.
“Within my professional role, I understand how important it is to promote positive engagement and that’s why I value Andy attending Bryncir Auction Centre in person to build trust with our rural community and develop a good working relationship between farm workers and the police.”