More about this area
The force says...
North Wales is one of the safest places in the United Kingdom. It is mainly rural with areas of outstanding natural beauty attracting a high number of visitors, such as the Snowdonia National Park. The area is covered by six local authorities and overseen on devolved matters by the Welsh Government. The Welsh language is an important part of our culture which is reflected in our workforce and working practices.
The population of 687000 is focused around Wrexham, Deeside and along the coastal strip including towns such as Rhyl, Llandudno and Bangor. Two universities in Wrexham and Bangor house a vibrant student population of around 25,000 during the academic year. The area is linked to the motorway infrastructure of England by the A55 Expressway which feeds the port of Holyhead, the second busiest in the UK.
This diverse mix poses a variety of policing challenges from organised crime groups and cross-border criminality to the prevention and investigation of rural and wildlife crime. In 2021/22 the force dealt with 324,354 calls of which 186,301 were incidents. The force recorded 67,807 crimes for the same period.
Policing in North Wales is delivered by 1653 police officers supported by PCSOs, special constables, volunteers and police staff. North Wales Police has invested in North Wales Community Alert which is a two-way community messaging system that allows officers to give up to date information about crime, engagement events, appeals, prevention advice and general policing activity in the local area. It also invites users to share information on their concerns and priorities. The force has also introduced a Digital Desk within the Force Control Room to improve accessibility.
The force has invested in technology to tackle increasing demand, including Digital Evidence Management, personal issued body-worn video and hand-held devices. More recently, the force has invested in a fully equipped Digital Forensics Unit (DFU) vehicle, enabling the DFU team to examine a range of devices at the earliest opportunity at any location for those serious crimes requiring urgent securing of evidence.
The Government’s Austerity Programme which began in 2011, has resulted in substantial cuts across policing. The overall effect of the reduced funding available, inflation and other pressures has resulted in £38.291m of savings being made to budgets over an 11-year period. This is equivalent to a 25.8% reduction in the 2010-11 pre-austerity budgets. North Wales Police has a good record of delivering savings and despite evolving complex crimes and reduced funding, performs well in maximising the outcomes from available resources.
Disclaimer: the above statement has been prepared by North Wales Police. The views and information in it are not necessarily those of HMICFRS.