Four Political Parties to Battle for North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Role

FOUR political parties are set to fight it out in the race to elect the next Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for North Wales.
Voters in the region will head to the polls on May 2 to elect a commissioner whose responsibilities include deciding the budget for North Wales Police and holding the force’s chief constable to account.
Labour incumbent Andy Dunbobbin is among those standing after the former Flintshire councillor was first appointed in May 2021.
The other challengers are Brian Jones, a local councillor from Rhyl, for the Conservatives, former deputy North Wales PCC Ann Griffith for Plaid Cymru and former Liverpool councillor Richard Marbrow for the Liberal Democrats.
Ahead of the election, members of the public are being reminded of the need to bring photo identification, such as a passport or driver’s licence, to polling stations due to a change in the law.
Here each candidate sets out their priorities if they are succesfully elected to the role.
Andy Dunbobbin – Labour and Co-operative Party
I am honoured to serve as your Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, with my focus firmly being on what matters to you, and on which I was elected.
Three years have passed very quickly with policing, quite rightly, facing immense scrutiny.
However, despite national and local challenges, I believe I have effectively led and represented you and our communities well.
As I look again for your support at this coming election, I will continue to put you, your families and our communities at the heart of my endeavours.
Neighbourhood policing is and always will be my top priority. With my focus firmly on preventing crime, we are now starting to see the benefits.
In our home of North Wales, overall crime is down 13.5 percent and performance is up.
The recent ONS survey has your police force as the best in England and Wales for public confidence and the second lowest figure nationally for rates of recorded crime per 1,000 population.
This doesn’t happen on its own. With Welsh Labour, we have strong, effective and collaborative arrangements in place. Policing in Wales, the Policing Partnership Board for Wales and the Criminal Justice Board for Wales are excellent examples that serve, support and protect our communities well.
Communities are the fibre that binds us together. I am rooted in the community and we have achieved a lot together but there is more I want to do.
Building on the success this has had to date, I have four strategic pillars, which are a local neighbourhood policing presence, supporting victims, communities and businesses, a fair and effective criminal justice system and a visible and responsible Police and Crime Commissioner.
My knowledge and experience is nationally recognised, resulting in responsibilities such as chair of Policing in Wales and PCC lead for a number of technology programmes elected by my peers.
Let us continue on our journey in making north Wales the safest place to live, work and visit.
Ann Griffith – Plaid Cymru
The best way to tackle crime is to stop it happening in the first place. Preventing crime will, therefore, be my focus if I’m elected on May 2nd.
I understand the trauma that crime causes for victims and know the impact of crime can be long-lasting.
I want to be a strong voice for those victims, who can often feel lost in the criminal justice system.
My over-riding priority is to make north Wales a safer place for all so that our communities can thrive.
So much police work these days overlaps other emergency services – in particular mental health and drug and alcohol misuse.
That’s why my experience of working across public services is vital as we need to work closer with social care, health and other emergency services to improve our response to residents.
My experience in the deputy’s job means I will hit the ground running and will be aiming to get stakeholders and criminal justice partners to work together to achieve great results.
In these difficult times of year-on-year funding cuts to public services, I’ll be looking to build strong and lasting relationships across our communities to provide greater opportunities to support all residents, ensuring no-one is forgotten.
All our communities – whether rural or urban – want reassurance that the police are there when they need them.
By ensuring support is available to everyone and all groups in our communities, North Wales Police officers will be able to respond and support our residents more effectively, on the first visit.
Of paramount importance is the health and wellbeing of our police officers and police staff.
If we don’t look after them, they can’t look after you. I’ll ensure that each police officer and member of staff at North Wales Police receives the best care and support available to them.
Facing traumatic incidents and running towards danger on a daily basis takes its toll on their health and their wellbeing is an absolute priority.
Brian Jones – Welsh Conservative Party
I would like the honour to represent you, your family and community as your North Wales Police & Crime Commissioner.
I was born, raised and educated in Rhyl and I am passionate and committed to making ours a stronger and safer community by:
1) Ensuring that North Wales Police have a minimal drain on their resources and costs when involved with the blanket 20mph policy but continue to collaborate with partner agencies and the voluntary sector for safer roads.
2) Providing greater support for our farmers combating rural crimes such as fly tipping, theft of livestock and equipment.
3) Combating anti-social behaviour using a common-sense approach to restore lost respect for our North Wales Police force by ensuring that residents can see and have access to police officers in their local communities and schools.
4) Tackling domestic abuse and violence which will include coercive behaviour. This will be a priority in my police and crime plan.
North Wales needs a strong Police and Crime Commissioner to spearhead the fight against crime and to ensure that the police are accountable to the people who really matter, you the residents.
It also needs a commissioner who is visible and available to the community they represent.
Richard Marbrow – Welsh Liberal Democrats
Policing priorities in North Wales should reflect the diversity of the needs of North Wales.
I live in Mold, in the east of North Wales but I will be a Police and Crime Commissioner for all of Flintshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey.
Rural crime is an issue for North Wales and should be a focus but two issues I will prioritise are issues for all of us across Wales.
The first of those issues is violent crime that affects women and girls.
As your Police and Crime Commissioner I will put in place community safety projects and set as a police priority making women and girls feel safer across our communities.
Women should feel safe inside their homes, out on the town and every girl should grow up without fear that their gender puts them at risk.
It is not acceptable that prosecution rates are as low as they are and that women do not feel able to see cases through to a conclusion.
The Police and Crime Commissioner has a vital role and a duty to make North Wales feel and be safe for women and girls across the region.
The second of my priority issues is that too many people in our community are affected by cybercrime.
Scams and breaches make the news but we too often forget the people behind the keyboards.
With a professional background in data protection, I am well placed to guide priorities in this area and I will put in place schemes to help prevent these crimes and to support victims of them.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter