Police & Licencees Work Together to Ensure Town Remains Safe and Enjoyable For Revellers

An operation using Police Specials to help make North Wales’s largest town a safe and enjoyable place to spend a night out is into its third successful year.

Operation Lex, which involves the Police and pub and club licensees has been up and running in Wrexham since 2013 and is widely credited with keeping the town safe and therefore helping to boost the night time economy.

Wrexham town centre’s pubs and clubs have a licensed capacity of more than 6,000 people, while the region’s largest nightclub can hold more than 1000 revellers making the weekends a very busy time for staff and the emergency services.

As part of the force’s commitment to reducing anti–social behaviour, drunk and disorderly behaviour, Operation Lex was set up to work with evening economy businesses.

The aim has been to reduce drunkenness inside premises, to encourage businesses to tell police when problems arise, to work effectively with properly trained door staff and to provide a highly visible police presence to maintain order and reassure the public.

As part of the initiative North Wales Police deploys teams of Special Constables in the early evening to help to prevent issues arising. The specials also boost patrols on the streets throughout the night.

Special Inspector Mike Roberts, who works for a bank in his day job, said; “Being a special constable is a great way to learn new skills and develop existing ones. Our work alongside officers and PCSO’s through Operation Lex’s proactive policing has reduced the incidents of drink- fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour in the town in recent years.

“Working with safer neighbourhood policing teams we will endeavour to help keep Wrexham a safe place for people to enjoy themselves.”

Inspector Simon Kneale said; “We are extremely fortunate in Wrexham to have such strong support from our Special Constabulary. I am so impressed to see people giving up their time to train, develop and support us in the town. We have had such significant support that Special Constables are deployed with our patrol officers and also into the Safer Neighbourhood Teams to support community policing.

“The Operation Lex II support is invaluable. The Special officers deploy each weekend and on key dates into the town centre to provide a highly visible presence. This supports the overall strategy of a Safer Wrexham and facilitates a safe and friendly town centre where customers can enjoy themselves.

The fact that we have this support from the SC in the busy night time economy enables me to direct regular officers to other areas of the town and focus on specific threat, risk and harm issues.”

Insp Kneale added: “I am confident that the work of the Special Constabulary will continue to intertwine with the policing of the town and I hope we can increase numbers to enhance overall effectiveness and resilience.”