People in North Wales are being given the chance to quiz the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and the region’s chief constable.
Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin and Chief Constable Carl Foulkes will be taking part in an online question and answer session on Twitter between 6pm and 7pm next Wednesday (August 4).
The public are being invited to put their questions and raise any concerns with the duo who will be together at police HQ in Colwyn Bay.
The session will be hosted on the commissioner’s Twitter account, @NorthWalesPCC and people submitting questions should preface them with #NWPpolicesurvey
Questions can be sent in either Welsh or English and will be responded to accordingly.
The Q and A is part of a major public consultation programme as Mr Dunbobbin prepares to write his first Police and Crime Plan after being elected in May.
The plan will set the blueprint for how North Wales is policed over the coming year and what the main priorities will be.
Mr Dunbobbin and the chief constable have also launched an online survey to gauge the public’s opinion ahead of drawing up the new strategy.
The survey covers all aspects of policing, from tackling serious and organised crime and protecting children and young people from sexual exploitation and abuse, to dealing with social media trolling and responding to non-emergency calls.
The survey is now available at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SMDKY8R for people to complete until Friday, August 20.
Paper copies will be available for those who do not wish to fill in the online version. There will also be an easy read version available.
It’s in the form of multiple choice questions with participants indicating on a scale of one to five how important they consider each different aspect of policing to be.
The aim is to publish the plan in September.
Mr Dunbobbin said: “North Wales has always been one of safest places to live, work and visit in the UK. My number one priority is to make sure that it stays that way.
“I have a responsibility to consult the public on policing priorities and in drawing up the new Police and Crime Plan I want to make sure as many people as possible have the opportunity to feed in the process. I want the hear from all sections of our wonderfully diverse communities, particularly from young people.
“The Q and A session with the Chief Constable will provide us with another avenue to find out what the people of North Wales think about how the region should be policed.
“It will provide the public with direct access to us so they can put their questions to us and raise their concerns.
“That’s important because I want to make sure that the views, needs and expectations of all parts of our communities are reflected in the plan.
“My job is to ensure that North Wales is policed in the most efficient and effective way and I am accountable to people who live here so it is hugely important that I know what their views are when it comes to policing.
“The updated Police and Crime Plan will set out in plain English and Welsh the level of service people can expect to receive from their local police force.
“In essence, I will be consulting the public on the policies contained in my manifesto when I was elected.
“Championing the rights and interest of victims was central to my manifesto and will be also be at the heart of the Police and Crime Plan.
“Once finalised, I will be scrutinising the force to ensure that the priorities of the new Police and Crime Plan are delivered and I will do so with great rigour.”
Chief Constable Foulkes said: “Like the police and crime commissioner, I am very keen to ensure we hear a broad spread of views from the people of North Wales.
“It is important that we address the concerns of local communities to influence the content and priorities of the Police and Crime Plan so that they can play a part in shaping future services and the allocation of resources.
“We’ll be looking forward to taking questions from as many people as possible during the Q and A session on Twitter as it is an invaluable opportunity to communicate directly with members of the public in North Wales.
“People can also tell us what they think via the survey which won’t take long to complete.
“It will however make a big difference in helping us to understand what people think is important.”
Paper copies of the survey are available by contacting [email protected] or 01492 805486. An easy read version of the survey is also available.
