Cracking Down on Crime and Making Wrexham Safer

Everyone deserves to feel safe where they live. That’s why I’m working with North Wales Police to ensure Wrexham has its share of new police officers and increased budgets. Already, the UK Government is delivering on this: for the current year (2021-22) the Government has announced that it will increase Police budgets in North Wales by £9.6 million. This will also fund the addition of 76 new Police officers in Wales.

I also know many residents are concerned about antisocial behaviour and crime in our town centre as we emerge from the pandemic. That is why I called on the Senedd Member, the Police and the Council to meet with me to discuss these concerns. I am pleased that the Police and the Council attended roundtable, providing an excellent opportunity to discuss the issues and the strategies in place. 

Although the Senedd Member denied that Wrexham faced problems with crime and antisocial behaviour, the Police have now accepted there are concerns and have acted: dispersal orders have been issued recently and local Police teams are taking a proactive approach to managing antisocial behaviour.

To tackle some of the local Policing issues in Wrexham, I am pleased that North Wales Police have also received over £500,000 from UK Government's 'Safer Streets' and 'Safety of Women and Girls at Night (SWAN)' funds. This will go towards a number of initiatives to make our town centre safer, these include: additional street lighting and CCTV, the opening of a welfare centre in the town on Friday and Saturday nights, and increased Police patrols. I will continue to support Wrexham Police with this initiative and have been out with the Police to see it firsthand.

I am also working with HMP Berwyn to reduce reoffending and create employment opportunities to get people out of the cycle of crime. In partnership with the prison, businesses leaders in Wrexham and individuals from with experience from similar projects, I will be part of an Advisory Board to help support employment opportunities for individuals as they leave HMP Berwyn.

News

Ministry of Justice Questions

Having recently met with some of the members of the newly established HMP Berwyn 'Employment Advisory Board', it was good to be able to raise the new scheme at Ministry of Justice Questions with the Prisons Minister, Alex Chalk MP. 

Miniature Mobile Phones Bill

I am pleased to have presented a Bill to the House of Commons that will seek to prohibit the sale of miniature mobile phones. The title of the Bill being; Miniature Mobile Phones (Prohibition of Sale): a bill to prohibit the sale of miniature mobiles phones; and for connected purposes.

Queen's Speech

The Queen's Speech, which takes place as part of the State Opening of Parliament, sets out the Government's legislative agenda for the coming year.

99 More Police Officers in North Wales

North Wales Police are being bolstered by 99 more police officers, meaning that there are now more frontline officers on our streets to keep the public safe!

Wrexham’s MP joins police on walkabout

On Friday 30 October, local MP Sarah Atherton joined police on a socially distanced foot patrol as part of ‘Operation Blue Instinct’ and ‘Offa October’, aimed at disrupting and deterring criminality in Wrexham.

North Wales Bolstered by 92 extra police officers

Sarah Atherton has welcomed the announcement that North Wales has been bolstered by an additional 92 officers since the Government launched its major recruitment drive in September 2019.