I have written to the Wrexham Senedd Member, Lesley Griffiths MS, Leader of Wrexham Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard, and Police Inspector Luke Hughes to invite them to a meeting to discuss the ongoing issues crime and anti-social behaviour issues in the town centre.
In her invitation, I wrote that it was an “opportune time when the profile of Wrexham is on the rise and we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic", adding that I hope all involved could “sit down together and work closely for the benefit of all Wrexham residents, businesses and the future of the town.”
This follows an earlier letter from myself to Cllr Pritchard in August, in which I outlined my concerns about anti-social behaviour following “complaints and comments” from residents. Recently, town centre businesses, such as those around Central Arcade, have complained about a lack of public toilet facilities, which has resulted in increased public urination.
Many will know that anti-social behaviour and crime have long been prevalent issues in Wrexham, but with the Covid-19 pandemic and the support measures in place, many residents, including myself, saw distinct improvements across the town. However, residents and businesses are now telling me that they worried that anti-social behaviour and crime are rising once again, which needs direct and rapid action.
I have already spoken out about a number of recent issues, such as the lack of public toilet facilities in the town centre, which many view as a cause of the public urination issues, and I now want to bring those that have the power to make the changes together. I hope that all those invited will look upon my invitation positively because, after all, we are all working for the betterment of Wrexham and, in this instance, it is better that we work together.
Significantly, North Wales Police have now also been awarded £339,000 under the UK Government’s ‘Safer Streets Fund’, which is good news for Wrexham and will be a first step towards making Wrexham a safer and more welcoming town. Going forward, I want to make sure that this funding is used wisely to ensure that those communities in Wrexham affected by increased anti-social behaviour and crime feel the benefit as soon as possible.
