Inspector to look at mental heath crisis response process so people get direct help from right service

Wrexham’s Inspector has detailed how local officers not only spend time dealing with crime, but also assisting with a range of other issues in the community.

Inspector Luke Hughes’ updates have provided a regular insight to police work that often goes unnoticed, and today’s bulletin explains how his team attended fourteen incidents that they grade a “concern for safety” as well as missing persons reports.

The Inspector notes that although the police do respond and help they are rarely the best placed service, and says, “I feel quite passionate about changing this and some of the work I will be doing in my new role will look at how we can get that person help directly from the best placed service, and rarely that’s the police”.

The full daily update is, as always, below…

Afternoon all

I was somewhat overwhelmed by the responses on Friday… thank you very much, I noticed even some of my critics were wishing me luck (or was that good riddance) either way I was humbled so thank you so much but…. I`ve not gone yet, four days to go… so you`ll have to put up with me a little longer…

A relatively steady weekend, football was certainly dramatic, mainly on the pitch but also two arrests made prior to the start of the game. One male for assault and one for possession of a control drug. Neither were inside the ground, and neither are home fans. Both were released on bail conditions and are very unlikely to be back in Wrexham anytime soon.

The weekend wasn’t without incident in relation to our ASB problems, but we continue our firm response with additional staff on the ground. One male was arrested in relation to a public order incident near the general train station and CCTV enquiries are ongoing regarding an assault on Lord Street. Further arrests will follow.

Two males were also arrested on Saturday afternoon following an altercation in Glan Gors, it transpired to be father and adult son. Both have been charged with a public order offence and son also charged with the theft of Vodka from a local shop a short time before. He was remanded in custody and will be appearing before court today.

During the early hours of Sunday officers also assisted North Wales Ambulance Service when we were first on scene to medical emergency in Tan y Bryn, our thoughts are with the family and hope all is well.

Sadly we also deal with a hate related incident at a takeaway in the city centre when the management began to receive abusive phone calls. Disgusting behaviour and enquires are ongoing to trace the female caller, who is certainly no lady.

As I type this the male who “skipped leg day” in my post last week has been identified and is in custody, he will be interviewed in relation to a Burglary and also theft following some more recent light fingered activity.

Of course it wasn’t only crime we dealt with, in fact that’s only a small part of what we do as I’m sure you know. Over the course of the weekend we dealt with numerous missing person enquiries and attended fourteen incidents that we grade a “concern for safety” more often than not its someone in mental heath crisis and need of support. Officers will do what they can to get that person help and refer them to the relevant agency, but this process is time consuming, and the delays often lead to more demand on our services and more distress for the person and their family… I feel quite passionate about changing this and some of the work I will be doing in my new role will look at how we can get that person help directly from the best placed service, and rarely that’s the police.

Finally, we still have an outstanding male who we are treating as missing person, we have been looking for Kacper for nearly a week so please refer to my earlier post on Facebook and I would be very grateful if this could be shared far and wide.

Thank you all and take care.