NEIL Hamilton, Leader of UKIP Wales and AM for Mid & West Wales, has welcomed news that his Region has been named as the safest place to live in England and Wales.
Mr Hamilton, Party Spokesman for Agriculture, Rural Affairs and the Environment, says he is delighted to see Dyfed-Powys Police coming out on top.
The force has the lowest number of victim-based crimes, which includes sexual offences, robbery, murder and burglary, according to Home Office data.
Statistics show that for the year ending September 2018 there were 43.1 victim-based crimes per 1,000 people living in the force area. West Yorkshire was ranked at the other end of the scale with 104.9 victims of crime per 1,000 people.
Mr Hamilton said:
“In these challenging times it really is good to see a Welsh Police force being recognised for all its hard work.
“To be named as the safest place in England and Wales is excellent news, especially for those who live and work in the area.
“To feel safe as we go about our daily business has got to be one of the main concerns for us all and Dyfed-Powys Police should be commended for doing so well.”
Despite the ranking Dyfed-Powys Police will not take its status as the safest area to live for granted, acknowledging that supporting victims of crime is its priority over rankings, and accepting that its officers and staff will face emerging challenges over the coming years.
Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Richard Lewis said: “I am pleased to see that the latest figures show that Dyfed-Powys is the safest places to live in the UK when victim-based crimes are taken into consideration.
“However, this is no consolation to a victim whose life might have been severely impacted by a crime. For them, what is most important is being able to access the right level of support as they go through the criminal justice system and endeavour to get their life back on track.
“This is why we will continue to put victims at the heart of everything we do, investigating incidents thoroughly but sensitively, and using specially trained officers to ensure we always give the best possible service.”
T/DCC Lewis added that the force cannot stand still as the landscape of crime changes, and that senior officers must ensure colleagues are continually learning and adapting the ways in which they disrupt criminality.
He said: “While I am proud and pleased to see that we have come out on top of this Home Office data, I am acutely aware that we have serious emerging issues to tackle, alongside strengthening our neighbourhood teams which form the backbone of policing.”
