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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2025 be approved as a correct record.
RESOLVED: That the following Members be appointed to the Member Champion roles: • Serious and Organised Crime - Pat Astbury /Trevor Coxon • Rural and wildlife crime – Councillor Elwyn Jones • Road safety - Pat Astbury • Antisocial behaviour – Councillor Alan Hunter/Gareth Cowell • Violence against women and girls – Councillor Carrie Harper • Business and retail crime – Councillor Nigel Williams • Responsiveness - Update to be provided in PCC’s report • Cyber crime - Pat Astbury • Hate crime - Trevor Coxon • Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Organised Immigration Crime - Pat Astbury/Trevor Coxon • Domestic violence perpetrators – Councillor Carrie Harper • The North Wales Victims’ Panel - Councillor Non Dafydd • Equality, diversity, inclusion and ethics - Trevor Coxon • Professional Standards – Councillor Chris Bithell/Gareth Cowell • Finance – Councillor Louise Emery • Criminal Justice – Councillor Steve Copple/Gareth Cowell • Commissioning – Councillor Louise Emery • Serious Violence Duty / Prevention Partnerships- Annual update to be given to the PCP
RESOLVED: That the Police and Crime Commissioner’s periodic update be noted.
RESOLVED: That the Police and Crime Panel (PCP) is assured that the grant is utilised to undertake the key deliverables as follows: • The PCP is able to carry out its scrutiny functions and responsibilities as set out in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. • The PCP continues to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, meeting in public and making necessary reports on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s decisions and actions. • The PCP continues to provide effective scrutiny of the Police and Crime Commissioner and ensuring transparency to the public.
RESOLVED: That the forward work programme be approved, subject to the inclusion of presentations on the performance management framework and the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and Safety Town Centres for the September 2025 meeting.
It was proposed and seconded that Pat Astbury be appointed as Chair of the North Wales Police and Crime Panel for 2025/2026. RESOLVED: That Pat Asbury be appointed as Chair of the North Wales Police and Crime Panel for 2025/2026.
It was proposed and seconded that Councillor Steve Copple (Flintshire County Council) be appointed as Vice-Chair of the North Wales Police and Crime Panel for 2025/2026. RESOLVED: That Councillor Steve Copple be appointed as Vice-Chair of the North Wales Police and Crime Panel for 2025/2026.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Nigel Williams (Wrexham County Borough Council), Kate Jackson (Chief Finance Officer, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC)) and Emma Thomas (Head of Scrutiny and Assurance, OPCC).
In the interest of transparency, Councillor Louise Emery advised that her husband worked within the Welsh Counter Terrorism Unit and whilst he was employed by North Wales Police, the unit was funded nationally.
None.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2025 be approved as a correct record.
The minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2025 were presented for approval. RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2025 be approved as a correct record.
A number of questions had been submitted to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) from Panel Members. The responses to the questions are attached as an appendix to these minutes. In line with the protocol, supplementary questions were asked as follows: Councillor Steve Copple thanked the PCC for the response and invited the PCC to attend one of the bench meetings. Councillor Non Dafydd thanked the PCC for the response and acknowledged that the PCC would be undertaking an independent review of CCTV across all six counties of North Wales and would welcome sight of the results of the review.
In relation to minute 102, there was a presentation from the Road Safety Unit on this agenda.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: That the following Members be appointed to the Member Champion roles: • Serious and Organised Crime - Pat Astbury /Trevor Coxon • Rural and wildlife crime – Councillor Elwyn Jones • Road safety - Pat Astbury • Antisocial behaviour – Councillor Alan Hunter/Gareth Cowell • Violence against women and girls – Councillor Carrie Harper • Business and retail crime – Councillor Nigel Williams • Responsiveness - Update to be provided in PCC’s report • Cyber crime - Pat Astbury • Hate crime - Trevor Coxon • Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Organised Immigration Crime - Pat Astbury/Trevor Coxon • Domestic violence perpetrators – Councillor Carrie Harper • The North Wales Victims’ Panel - Councillor Non Dafydd • Equality, diversity, inclusion and ethics - Trevor Coxon • Professional Standards – Councillor Chris Bithell/Gareth Cowell • Finance – Councillor Louise Emery • Criminal Justice – Councillor Steve Copple/Gareth Cowell • Commissioning – Councillor Louise Emery • Serious Violence Duty / Prevention Partnerships- Annual update to be given to the PCP
Following the publication of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s new Police and Crime Plan for 2025/2027, the North Wales Police and Crime Panel was presented with a report seeking approval to appoint Member Champions to the priority areas within the plan. Consultation had been undertaken with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Panel Members to seek expressions of interest. Therefore, it was RESOLVED: That the following Members be appointed to the Member Champion roles: • Serious and Organised Crime - Pat Astbury /Trevor Coxon • Rural and wildlife crime – Councillor Elwyn Jones • Road safety - Pat Astbury • Antisocial behaviour – Councillor Alan Hunter/Gareth Cowell • Violence against women and girls – Councillor Carrie Harper • Business and retail crime – Councillor Nigel Williams • Responsiveness - Update to be provided in PCC’s report • Cyber crime - Pat Astbury • Hate crime - Trevor Coxon • Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Organised Immigration Crime - Pat Astbury/Trevor Coxon • Domestic violence perpetrators – Councillor Carrie Harper • The North Wales Victims’ Panel - Councillor Non Dafydd • Equality, diversity, inclusion and ethics - Trevor Coxon • Professional Standards – Councillor Chris Bithell/Gareth Cowell • Finance – Councillor Louise Emery • Criminal Justice – Councillor Steve Copple/Gareth Cowell • Commissioning – Councillor Louise Emery • Serious Violence Duty / Prevention Partnerships- Annual update to be given to the PCP
Updates were provided on the following: Member Champion for the Rural and Wildlife Crime Councillor Elwyn Jones advised that he had nothing to report at this stage, as the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) was currently in the process of recruiting two members of staff to provide support in this area, due to maternity leave. The Chief Constable advised of the work being undertaken in relation to the national Rural Crime Strategy to tackle rural and wildlife crime, including the rolling programme of farm visits to advise how to protect property, land and livestock and working with the farming unions. Councillor Edgar Owen, who was the Chair of the Eryri National Park Authority acknowledged the good work being undertaken in the National Park by North Wales Police. Member Champions for Antisocial behaviour (ASB) Councillor Alan Hunter and Gareth Cowell advised that further information in relation to ASB would be provided to the next Police and Crime Panel (PCP) meeting in September 2025, as the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) had selected this priority area as a deep dive focus for the next Strategic Executive Board, which would include case sampling, how ASB was addressed and the problem solving approach. Member Champion for Domestic Violence Councillor Carrie Harper advised that she would provide a more detailed update at the next PCP meeting in September 2025. Member Champion for Hate Crime and Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Ethics Trevor Coxon advised that he had met with the OPCC to get an overview of the priority areas and he would be attending an Anti-Slavery Wales 2025 conference in October 2025. Member Champion for Cyber Crime Pat Asbury advised that she had met with the Emma Thomas, the Head of Scrutiny and Assurance at the OPCC and further information would be provided to future meetings. Member Champion for the North Wales Victims Panel Councillor Non Dafydd advised that she had recently visited the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre in Bangor and was hoping to sit on another Victim’s Panel shortly. Member Champion for Professional Standards Councillor Chris Bithell advised of the following: • 568 complaints had been received by North Wales Police between 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, which was down from 599 in the previous year. • There were currently 75 ‘live’ complaint cases at the time of this meeting. • There were currently 40 live conduct cases; 3 cases had been referred to the IOPC; 5 hearings scheduled, 5 meetings and 2 appeals. The PCC extended his thanks to the Chief Constable for the work undertaken in relation to the culture of the organisation. In response, the Chief Constable advised she was pleased with the progress made, however, the Force could not be complacent. The Member Champion welcomed the regular updates from the Chief Executive of the OPCC as it provided transparency and assurance that action was being taken. Member Champion for Finance Councillor Louise Emery advised that the budget planning process would commence in September 2025 for the next financial year. The Chief Executive of the OPCC advised that the draft accounts had just been published and the Introduction to the Accounts document would be presented to the PCP in due course. Member Champions for Criminal Justice Councillor Steve Copple and Gareth Cowell advised that they had a meeting with the OPCC on Monday, 1 July 2025 to go through this priority area.
The North Wales Police and Crime Panel received a presentation from Superintendent Simon Barrasford (Roads Crime Unit) on a review of the 20-mph speed limit, which was adopted in Wales in September 2023. The presentation provided an overview as follows: • Operation Ugain, which was launched to deliver roadside engagement across Wales as an alternative approach to penalty points or a fine. • Enforcement and mobile and fixed offence data between September 2023 and January 2025. • Constraints – Local Authorities were in the process of carrying out further reviews, which were ongoing and were having an impact on GoSafe enforcement. • Conclusions and recommendations: - It was too early to make an accurate assessment on the effectiveness of the 20-mph due to variances. - There had been some reductions in the number of casualties post implementation. - Increase of casualties seen in some towns where there was lost enforcement capability. - Number of Local Authorities still carrying out prolonged reviews and there were issues with Traffic Orders and Default Speed limit reviews, and length of site for enforcement. - Review of effectiveness of 20 mph to be carried out once full implementation of GoSafe sites had been reinstated and all Local Authority reviews concluded. The PCP thanked Superintendent Barrasford for the presentation and discussed the following: • The average and highest offence speeds. • The number of GoSafe sites, which had been lost with the introduction of the 20-mph default speed limit in Wales. Local Authorities were in the process of carrying out further reviews, which was having an impact on GoSafe enforcement. • The PCP was advised that there was detailed data behind the statistics, in order to identify the hotspots and this was shared across all counties of North Wales. - The Chief Constable advised that collisions happened for all sorts of reasons and it was not just about speed, as there were so many other factors, sometimes age related, sometimes mechanical defects. • The top five fixed camera locations in North Wales – it was noted that Local Authorities could liaise with Welsh Government for funding to install static cameras. • Tourists and visitors not adhering to the speed limit. • The number of prosecutions, which was likely to go up in 2025. Superintendent Barrasford extended his thanks to the Chair for the work she had done around the ‘Olivia’s Story’. It was agreed that a further update be provided to the PCP in 12 months.
This item had been deferred until the next meeting in September 2025.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: That the Police and Crime Commissioner’s periodic update be noted.
The Police and Crime Panel was presented with the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) periodic update for the period 1 November 2024 to 1 May 2025. The report highlighted the progress made against the priorities set out in the Police and Crime Plan and outlined the developments, partnership activity and strategic initiatives undertaken to deliver safer communities and confidence in policing. In scrutinising the report, the following was noted: · The conclusion of the five year contract with Dechrau Newydd and the comprehensive review undertaken of the business needs, aims and future direction of the commissioning substance misuse support. - The Chief Executive would meet with Councillor Carrie Harper outside of the meeting to discuss further. · An analysis of antisocial behaviour showed that the number of recorded incidents had reduced, whilst attendance at incidents had increased – the Member Champion for Antisocial Behaviour felt it would have been useful to include the actual numbers as well as the percentages. - It was noted that the PCC was undertaking a deep dive into ASB in July 2025 and the results of this would be reported in September 2025. · The approach to serious and organised crime (SOC) following recommendations from the HMICFRS inspection. RESOLVED: That the Police and Crime Commissioner’s periodic update be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: That the Police and Crime Panel (PCP) is assured that the grant is utilised to undertake the key deliverables as follows: • The PCP is able to carry out its scrutiny functions and responsibilities as set out in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. • The PCP continues to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, meeting in public and making necessary reports on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s decisions and actions. • The PCP continues to provide effective scrutiny of the Police and Crime Commissioner and ensuring transparency to the public.
The North Wales Police and Crime Panel (PCP) was presented with the end of year monitoring report on the use of the PCP grant and the expenses incurred during the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. RESOLVED: That the Police and Crime Panel (PCP) is assured that the grant is utilised to undertake the key deliverables as follows: • The PCP is able to carry out its scrutiny functions and responsibilities as set out in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. • The PCP continues to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, meeting in public and making necessary reports on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s decisions and actions. • The PCP continues to provide effective scrutiny of the Police and Crime Commissioner and ensuring transparency to the public.
Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: That the forward work programme be approved, subject to the inclusion of presentations on the performance management framework and the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and Safety Town Centres for the September 2025 meeting.
Members were presented with the forward work programme (FWP) for the North Wales Police and Crime Panel (PCP). The FWP had been updated to include all the regular and statutory items that need to be presented to the PCP. It was noted that there would be presentations on the performance management framework (deferred from the June 2025 meeting) and the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and Safer Town Centres at the next PCP meeting. RESOLVED: That the forward work programme be approved, subject to the inclusion of presentations on the performance management framework and the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and Safety Town Centres for the September 2025 meeting.
The North Wales Police and Crime Panel (PCP) was advised that Mrs Dawn Hughes (PCP Support Officer) would be retiring shortly and this would be her last meeting. The Chair and the Chief Executive of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner extended their thanks to Mrs Hughes for all her hard work, support and guidance over the last 12 years and wished her well on her retirement.
The next meeting would take place on Monday, 22 September 2025 at 2pm
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