Conservative MS hits back following police criticism

A Tory Senedd member has requested a meeting with the North Wales Police chief constable after she was accused of “talking down” Llandudno in a row of anti-social crime levels in the resort.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin and Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans were highly critical of Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders, accusing her of damaging the reputation of the resort.

They said she had used “incorrect” and “misleading” claims about crime and anti-social behaviour levels in a seaside resort and “talking the town down”. They were also angered by Mrs Finch-Saunders’ plea to residents to log 101 calls and share them with her office.

Youth crimes

Mrs Finch-Saunders insisted that a meeting at the Grand Hotel in Llandudno last week was told there were 389 youth crimes in the resort last year. Today the force said the actual figure was 198.

She said: “Reading their contradictory version of events, especially with one police officer not even present at the meeting, while downplaying the seriousness of the issues faced by many of my constituents, is certainly not helpful in fostering a positive working relationship.

“I have therefore written to the Chief Constable, requesting a more effective and communicative approach to working together going forward. This is crucial for restoring public confidence in our enforcement authorities and breaking the current cycle of unacceptable behaviour by some individuals.”

She added: “I’m really baffled after 30 years of being an elected politician and working very closely with North Wales Police; indeed, in 2004-2008, I was the cabinet member for community safety and public protection where I worked on a daily basis with them. Never have I ever known such a profound statement to have been put out disputing actual facts and evidence that came forward during my meeting.”

‘Strategic’

She went on to criticise the commissioner, Mr Dunbobbin. “I felt the Crime Commissioner’s comments at the meeting were very strategic: ‘We have got a strategy here. We’ve got a plan there.’ But he has got a large budget. Some of that budget is being spent in places like Wrexham and Flintshire. We’ve had nothing in Llandudno for CCTV or extra lighting, where it has been proven that (extra street) lighting would help to cut down anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.”

She added: “I promise everyone that I will continue to scrutinise and challenge North Wales Police and any other interested party to ensure that we work together to ensure the numbers of anti-social behaviour are drastically reduced. I do hope there are no political motivations in these statements.”