- 19/04/2013
- Posted by: Ken Skates MS
- Category: News
LABOUR AM, KEN SKATES, has welcomed news that overall crime has fallen 10% in Wrexham over the last twelve months.
New figures from North Wales Police show there were eight hundred fewer victims of crime in Wrexham County Borough in the year ending March 2013 compared to the previous 12 months.
There has been a 7.5% reduction in domestic burglaries and anti-social behaviour, while incidents of violence with and without injury while shoplifting fell by 9.7%.
The AM said he hoped the £16m (20%) budget cuts being forced on North Wales Police by 2015 by the coalition government don’t jeopardise reduced crime levels in Wrexham.
Clwyd South AM KEN SKATES said:
“I’m delighted to see the reductions in overall crime in Wrexham over the last year and particularly the progress being made in tackling domestic burglaries and shoplifting.
“The Police and their partners in North Wales do a fantastic job in helping tackle crime throughout our communities and I pay tribute to the courageous and much valued work they do day in day out to keep us safe.
“However what concerns me is that North Wales Police are facing a massive 20% cut in their budget by 2015, which means they will have £16m less with which to fight crime and anti-social behaviour. The crime rate reductions we are seeing, which are the result of years of sustained investment, now risk being undone by the swinging cuts that are being made.
“The Tory-led UK Government has overseen the worst budget settlement for the Police in decades. Figures from the Police Federation and Police Authorities suggest cuts could lead to the loss of some 1,600 officers across Wales with rural Police forces in North Wales being hit hardest.
“Across our communities in North Wales we risk losing 162 frontline Police Officers by 2015, putting the safety of our communities and the gains we are making in areas like Wrexham in real jeopardy.”
The figures show a reduction in anti-social behaviour incidents reported to North Wales Police. In Wrexham County there has been a 7.5% decrease in with 495 less people contacting the police about such incidents.