Community Safety in Ogmore

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:07 pm on 21 September 2021.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 2:07, 21 September 2021

I thank the First Minister for that answer, and one of the things that gave me greatest pleasure over a decade ago was being part of the committee in Westminster that brought into being the police community support officers. It was a long, arduous committee, but we brought them in, and we brought them in because we knew the role that they would have in tackling low-level nuisance and antisocial behaviour, in releasing police resources to focus on other priorities, and to engage with the community, youth groups and other groups in the community as well. So, it also gives me great pleasure, I have to say, to come down here to the Senedd and find successive Welsh Labour Governments investing in police community support officers.

Could you give us the assurance, the guarantee, that both in this Senedd—as a manifesto commitment, making good on it—but also going forward, that Welsh Labour will continue to invest in PCSOs as part of that extended reach of the policing family, and making sure that our communities are as safe as can possibly be, and that we extend deep into these communities to engage with them on community safety?