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On Friday, June 30 North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin visited Rhyl to hear more about how local officers in the town are working to reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) and other forms of crime in the town.
ASB is defined as behaviour where a person’s or group’s actions causes annoyance, suffering or trouble to a specific person or group or to the wider community, and examples can include vandalism, vehicle nuisance, street drinking and inappropriate behaviour by neighbours.
The Commissioner was led on a walk around the town centre by local Inspector Kevin Smith of North Wales Police and was also joined by Cllr Rhys Thomas, Lead Member for Housing and Communities on Denbighshire County Council.
The visit was planned as part of national ASB Awareness Week, running 3-9 July, which aims to raise awareness of ASB, offer advice on how and who to report it, and to understand people’s rights as victims of ASB. The campaign is being backed by the PCC, for whom preventing ASB in communities across North Wales is a key priority.
The three discussed the overall picture of crime in the Denbighshire Coastal area, which has seen a steady and welcome decline in offences over recent months. To date there has been a reduction of over 6.4% in victim based recorded crime and an overall reduction of 10.7%. This equates to a total of 576 fewer victims of crime.
After meeting at Rhyl Police Station in Wellington Road, the group visited the High Street, West End of Rhyl and the Promenade, which has seen a boost in regeneration to improve the area. In recent years, the West End of Rhyl has also benefited from over half a million pounds from the Safer Streets Fund, which funding made available to Police and Crime Commissioners from the Home Office to reduce crime and make residents safer. Funding in Rhyl went towards increased CCTV coverage of the area, the installation of ANPR Cameras, the delivery of hundreds of burglary crime prevention packs to residents, and the refurbishment of alley gates and replacement of locks with digital locks.
Inspector Smith was appointed local Inspector in February 2023, however he has worked in Denbighshire for the most part of his 20 years’ service. During the visit he outlined some the plans he has in mind for policing in the town: “Visibility and engagement are key to policing the highest demand area of the force. Neighbourhood Policing plays a key part here and over the summer, I am looking to strengthen the Neighbourhood policing team and work with partners to continue with the downward trend in crime. To support this, the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has offered the local policing team a powerful tool in combatting crime and anti-social behaviour. The policing team are working with Denbighshire County Council and are keen to see this order renewed later in the year.”
North Wales Police & Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: “I was pleased to visit Rhyl and hear of the excellent work being undertaken by Inspector Smith and local officers to combat crime in the town. Rhyl is one of the largest towns in North Wales and is a key tourism and economic hub for the region. With crime down by 10.7%, it was good to hear of the success seen locally in recent months and in ensuring Rhyl remains a welcoming place for residents and visitors alike.
“Delivering safer neighbourhoods, and supporting victims and communities are cornerstones of my Police and Crime Plan and I’d urge anyone who has a crime to report or any suspicions to report it to the police or Crimestoppers, so we can work together to combat ASB wherever it happens, whether in Rhyl or in any of the other communities that make up North Wales.”
Councillor Rhys Thomas, Denbighshire County Council, commented: “I am really pleased at the way the Rhyl Community Safety Forum is now operating. There is an opportunity for representatives of local businesses, Rhyl Town Councillors, Denbighshire County Councillors for Rhyl and many other agencies to meet regularly with NWP. The exchange of information at this regular meeting is helping the police to respond to the concerns of the community.
“Denbighshire County Council is committed to the long-term development of Rhyl. As well as the extensive coastal defence work, there has been significant investment to regenerate Rhyl for residents and businesses alike.”