A police boss is returning to the Gwynedd town where he once pounded the beat as the local bobby to give civic leaders an insight into his role.
Arfon Jones spent 30 years as a police officer in uniform and plain clothes before retiring from the force and being elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales last May.
He’ll be taking a trip down memory lane when he goes over to Tywyn to speak to members of the Town Council.
The PCC says the visit will be particularly poignant for him for a couple of reasons – it was the place where he started his long policing career and also where he met the girl who was to become his wife.
Brought up not too far away in Harlech, where he was educated at Ysgol Ardudwy before going on to study in Cardiff, he began his career as a laboratory scientist at the old Chester City Hospital.
In 1978 he left the health service to join North Wales Police at Tywyn as a uniformed PC.
Mr Jones stayed in the area for four years until he moved over to Coedpoeth near Wrexham and began his climb up the ranks to inspector before retiring in 2008.
He said: “I have fond memories of serving in Tywyn where I was a constable for two years before being transferred to an out-station in the nearby village of Abergynolwyn where I spent another two years prior to moving over to Coedpoeth in 1982.
“I remember that Tywyn and Abergynolwyn were quiet. Tywyn is a tourist town and busy in summer but in winter can be quiet.
“Basically, the job back then was dealing with things like shed and garage break-ins, the theft of motor vehicles, livestock crime such as animal rustling and the odd assault in pubs.
“The nature of society has changed a lot in the past 35 or 40 years, especially as far as pubs are concerned. There are fewer of them and less fighting happens.
“While I was stationed at Abergynolwyn I remember that I only dealt with four crimes in two years. After that I asked for a transfer as I was looking for more of a challenge.
“When I was transferred to Coedpoeth is was more demanding which suited me to a tee.
“Despite it being quiet I enjoyed my time in Tywyn for another reason – it was where I met my wife, Gwenfair, who comes from the village of Llwyngwril which is between there and Dolgellau
“I got to know her through the job as her mother was a Special Constable in the area. We were married in 1980 and now have two daughters and four grandchildren.”
The PCC added: “Since I was a PC in Tywyn the culture of policing has changed as demand has changed.
“The North Wales force is now a slimmer and more effective organisation than it was then. These days we have police officers available when demand occurs rather than having them waiting for something to happen.
“When I speak to Tywyn Town Council in April I’ll tell them about my job as PCC but it will be more of a question and answer session.
“I’ll have a local inspector or sergeant with me to answer any points raised about operational policing because that’s not my role.
“I’m looking forward to meeting them but I do go back to the area pretty regularly as my wife’s family live there and quite recently I attended a Farmers Union of Wales breakfast in the village of Llanegryn.”
