Pembrokeshire’s Senedd Members Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz have blasted fresh calls to hand control of policing from Westminster to Cardiff Bay.
Following renewed calls from Plaid and Labour to transfer responsibility for policing in Wales to the Senedd, the pair confirmed that a Welsh Conservative Government in May would block any such move.
While proposals to devolve policing have been raised since the creation of the Senedd, there remains strong opposition, especially as England and Wales already share one legal system.
They say the plan would create more red tape, not safer streets. And they warned it cuts both ways. Any move towards a single police force in Wales would be just as bad — an idea from Westminster they flatly dismiss as out of touch.
Commenting, Paul Davies said:
“Those advocating the devolution of policing are mistaken if they believe it will improve police services in Pembrokeshire.”
“Rather than creating another costly layer of bureaucracy in Cardiff Bay, the four Welsh forces should focus on making better use of their existing budgets.”
“We need stronger rural crime teams, greater investment in early intervention and youth services, and support for community-led crime prevention. The tools already exist within Dyfed-Powys Police, devolution is not a magic wand.”
Samuel Kurtz added:
“Further devolution is not in the interests of Pembrokeshire residents, and there is little public demand for it.”
“Currently, all four Welsh forces either require improvement or are delivering only the minimum standard on key metrics and this has got to change.”
“Communities like ours need policing that tackles rural crime, theft from vehicles and anti-social behaviour. Debates over whether the UK or Welsh Government is in charge are a distraction and will delay delivering the improvements people want to see.”