04 Feb 2020
04/02/2020
Police and Crime Commissioner to invest in new approach to community funding
Your Police and Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn is investing in a new fund following the recent refresh of the Neighbourhood Policing structure across the Dyfed-Powys Police area.
Each of the 14 Neighbourhood Policing Teams across the force area will receive £10,000 to be spent within the communities they serve, and the communities themselves will be key decision makers in this Participatory Budgeting process.
Neighbourhood Policing Officers from Powys, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire attended a training session in Newtown this week to make a start on this process. It will involve local police officers working closely with the local community to enable the public to make important decisions on how money will be spent.
Dafydd Llywelyn said: “I have committed to fund this new and innovative approach to community funding as I think it’s vital that local residents have a say in how money is spent in their local area.
“They are best placed to work with the police, and indeed other partner agencies, to identify where the money is needed and what would most benefit the local communities.
Communities should be influencing the decisions.”
The funding will be available from 1 April 2020 once funding processes have been set up.
This new approach will firstly be adopted by Newtown officers and the communities they serve. It will then be rolled out across the remaining 13 Neighbourhood Policing areas.
Newtown officers have already identified partners to work alongside them, which has resulted in additional funding being made available. If anyone would like to be involved in this process in Newtown, please contact Sergeant Matthew Price at Newtown Police station, or email him at matthew.price418@dyfed-powys.pnn.police.uk
Superintendent Ifan Charles, Divisional Commander for Powys and lead on participatory budgeting in force, said:
“Participatory budgeting is a way of giving communities a greater say in how their community evolves.
“Problem solving to find long term solutions to solve the issues that cause communities the greatest harm, is at the core of our new neighbourhood policing model.
“Through informed community engagement and problem solving, the new neighbourhood structure should reduce the long-term harm for our communities and with that, demand on our response officers, but this will only work if our communities and partners are equally engaged.
“Participatory budgeting has worked really well elsewhere and I’m really excited to lead the introduction of this innovative approach here.”
Footnote – Ends
Note to editors
The Police and Crime Commissioner can be available for interviews.
Please see a previous Dyfed-Powys Police press release on the refresh of the Neighbourhood Policing Team structure / problem solving teams here: https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/en/newsroom/press-releases/investigating-why-things-happen-not-just-how-things-happen-is-focus-for-new-teams/
Please find below a breakdown of the 14 Neighbourhood Policing Team areas:
- Milford Haven
- Pembroke Dock
- Tenby
- Haverfordwest
- Llanelli Town
- Llanelli Rural
- Carmarthen
- Ammanford
- North Ceredigion
- Mid Ceredigion
- South Ceredigion
- North Powys
- Mid Powys
- South Powys
For further information on the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner, visit: http://www.dyfedpowys-pcc.org.uk/en/the-commissioner/role-of-the-police-crime-commissioner/
Contact details – Hannah Hyde, Policy and Engagement Advisor 01267 226440 / hannah.hyde.opcc@dyfed-powys.pnn.police.uk
Facebook / Twitter @DPOPCC
Photo – Dafydd Llywelyn, Police and Crime Commissioner
