Police Update On Town Centre Crime Figures

Statistics announced to the Town Centre Forum this morning revealed an encouraging decrease in year to date crime statistics despite some recent high profile incidents.

Overall there has been a 10% reduction of crime year to date from April, including a decrease of 3% in shoplifting.

There has also been a 20% decrease in ‘inquisitive crime’, which includes handbag thefts.

Crime figures relating to violent crime with injury have also fallen by 6.7%.

Inspector Mark Williams updated the forum with information on problem areas in and around the town centre, some of which had been raised by forum members. With regards to anti-social behaviour on Island Green, he reported the problem to have ‘lessened’. Last month one resident living in the flats adjacent to Island Green complained of boy racers who drove round the car park at night, stating that they disrupt him when he’s ‘trying to watch CSI’.

The issue of littering on Llwyn Isaf and street drinking (along with drinking on Yorke Street) was raised, with North Wales Police saying they will ‘take action on littering especially’ with a new initiative to tackle this imminent.

In recent weeks there have been three high profile crimes that have taken place in and around the town centre. Inspector Mark Williams, speaking on behalf of North Wales Police confirmed that inquiries into both the murder at the Cambrian Vaults and the Chester Street situation are still ongoing.

Speaking of the events he said “I think we managed it (Chester Street) fairly well. We kept disruption to a minimum.

“These things will happen, it’s unfortunate that they happened so closely together.”

Reference to the ‘Change Wrexham For Our Future’ was also made in the meeting. The group, which was set up by Beth Bennett was also praised in the Council Executive Board this afternoon for its positive messages towards Wrexham. You can read our report on the positive message being spread in the town centre here.