Wrexham.com Q&A – Put Your Questions to Town Centre Inspector

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  • #127924

    R T
    Keymaster

    [quote quote=127915]Does the UK intoxication laws for being drunk and disorderly not also cover individuals who are causing a problem whilst under the influence of or incapacitated by illegal drugs or so called legal highs?

    I believe that the legal guidelines state:

    “The police will only get involved if the person is so intoxicated they are unable to act in a reasonable manner, such as passing out on the street. In that case typically the police will, depending on the circumstances, help the intoxicated person on their way or place the person in a police station cell until sober.”

    Now there has been evidence of people passed out in the bus station countless times, either drunk or otherwise intoxicated on other substances. Why are these people not being either moved on by the police or placed into a police cell until sober?

    Also, people are regularly witnessing the dealing of drugs and former legal highs in these areas, why are police patrols not able to spot these dealers and arrest them?

    It is a very concerning fact that there are unsupervised children of school age, vulnerable elderly and young mums with babies and toddlers, as well as others who have no choice but to use the bus station every day and are forced to share this space with individuals who are a potential threat and are 100% unfit to be around the general public as a result of what they have taken.

    This just isn’t good enough, it doesn’t matter how many council strategies are applied in committee meetings or plans to improve the situation, what the people demand is action and the taking back of the bus station for the people and local businesses of Wrexham to feel safe again as they do their daily commute and go about business. There should at the very least be some kind of permanent PCSO presence at the bus station as the current security situation is not acting as an effective deterrent to anti-social behaviour.

    [/quote]

    IW: We have arrested people and processed them into the criminal justice system for these previously called ‘legal highs’. We have met with challenges from legal departments because forensically on occasions even the scientists cannot tell us what these products are, or what these chemical compounds contain, this is a new evolving field for criminal justice generally and a lot of agencies are reporting similar challenges.

    One other offence that could come into play is an ancient offence of poisoning, which is an area that we are considering at this time. That offence clearly was not designed for legal highs, but may fit.

    One of the tests of intoxication for drunkenness is the inability to stand unaided, clearly with the pictures we have seen this type of substance means people can’t fall.

    Regarding having a PCSO permanently stationed at the bus station. The bus station is a private area with public access, and so private security needs to be supplied and supported by police where necessary.

    HJ: The strategies that have been developed in partnership with north wales police, substance misuse agencies and several council departments are actively being implemented in Wrexham as we speak. This has resulted in in the region of 100 PSPO tickets being issued, and a number of people now engaging with recovery agencies to ensure that the solutions we apply are not just sticking plasters but are providing a long term relief from their anti social behaviour.

    Again I repeat as other towns and cities have found, there is no silver bullet, and this work does take time but progress is being made.

    #127925

    R T
    Keymaster

    [quote quote=127920]Question through from Lauren:

    Would it be better to set up a centre for people who take drugs like Scotland did? Obviously it’s still bad but will then keep the streets cleaner and safer and maybe help to get the druggies off the drugs, maybe volunteers could help?

    [/quote]

    Just to note, Cllr Hugh Jones has left the building so Inspector Wycherley is taking on these questions solo now for the remaining time….

    IW: I am aware a number of places in the UK are trialling this sort of approach and there would need to be a change of law to make them the norm. The police enforce the law, not make it, and if the law was changed in that regard so be it.

    #127926

    D R
    Keymaster

    Not a question – but a statement from Charlotte about working in the town centre…

    I used to work in a shop in the town centre, all female staff.. a number of times we had thefts and were threatened. Still took the police 2-3 days to send somebody to look at cctv. Drug abuse happening in the toilets, all they would do was tell them to stop coming in and send them on their way. One of the main reasons I decided to get a job out of the town centre!

    #127927

    R T
    Keymaster

    [quote quote=127923]IW: Assuming this is an annual increase and allocated to me in Wrexham, I would have 18 extra PC’s and 7 extra PCSOs, because the public tell us they want to see more uniform on the street.

    Surprised you never requested money for the police band.
    Sorry I have lost all faith in the police in Wrexham

    [/quote]

    IW: I gathered that, and that is a shame. If you want to come in to Wrexham Police Station and have a cup of tea with me and discuss why you have lost faith in the police, here is an open invitation.

    #127928

    D R
    Keymaster

    Statement from Julie about CCTV –

    The CCTV is hardly ever on my Son had 2 bikes stolen in Wrexham and even the police had no footage from outside The Guildhall

    #127929

    keirik
    Participant

    question to Hugh and the Police Representative.

    Since the changes around the Post House Rounadabout I see vehicles on the 483 ignoring red lights on an almost daily basis at the junction of the 483 and 5445 (Wrexham Road) and going straight through, in fact my wife was nearly hit by an HGV going through after a red light had been set for several seconds. In addition there are a huge number still using mobiles, could the police put a vehicle on the lights occasionally to catch some of the persistent offendors and also make people more aware?

    #127930

    D R
    Keymaster

    Question in from James –

    I’d like to ask, simply- why is this town getting worse? Hear nothing but bad news, daily.

    Helicopter is out almost every night, cars getting torched regularly, crack heads just roaming the streets like they’re running the show.

    Wrexham’s turning into a massive shithole.

    #127931

    R T
    Keymaster

    [quote quote=127926]Not a question – but a statement from Charlotte about working in the town centre…

    I used to work in a shop in the town centre, all female staff.. a number of times we had thefts and were threatened. Still took the police 2-3 days to send somebody to look at cctv. Drug abuse happening in the toilets, all they would do was tell them to stop coming in and send them on their way. One of the main reasons I decided to get a job out of the town centre!
    [/quote]

    IW: That is a shame you feel that way. All thefts will be prioritised, we will always give priority to a crime in progress. If it is something that has happened and you want us to look at CCTV the priority level is reduced and so we will get to it when we available – and I agree that could be quite some time.

    Consider this though, I am aware that because of financial constraints alot of shops removed their security guards a cost saving initiative, and then simply tell the police every time they have a theft. It may surprise you to learn that in Wrexham town centre there are a reported in excess of 900 shop liftings a year and each one of them takes an average of 2 hours of police time – that is a significant drain on police time.

    With regards to drug abuse in the toilets, if we catch people in possession of what we think is a drug, as explained earlier they will be having a free ride in a police car. If they have already used it by the time we get there then their details will be taken for intelligence purposes so we can consider targeting them or their dealer in the future.

    I am sorry that you feel this way.

    #127932

    R T
    Keymaster

    [quote quote=127928]Statement from Julie about CCTV –

    The CCTV is hardly ever on my Son had 2 bikes stolen in Wrexham and even the police had no footage from outside The Guildhall

    [/quote]

    IW: The CCTV system is owned by the council and operated 24 hours a day every day of the year. If a theft is reported to the police the first thing we do is ask the CCTV operators to see if they have any coverage. If the camera is pointing the wrong way they won’t.

    #127933

    R T
    Keymaster

    [quote quote=127929]question to Hugh and the Police Representative.

    Since the changes around the Post House Rounadabout I see vehicles on the 483 ignoring red lights on an almost daily basis at the junction of the 483 and 5445 (Wrexham Road) and going straight through, in fact my wife was nearly hit by an HGV going through after a red light had been set for several seconds. In addition there are a huge number still using mobiles, could the police put a vehicle on the lights occasionally to catch some of the persistent offendors and also make people more aware?
    [/quote]

    IW: That is actually Cheshire Police location, and if you dial 101 and ask for Cheshire Police they will help you.

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