Welsh Conservative Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes MP, recently praised neighbourhood policing teams in Clwyd South, highlighting their proactive work with young services in engaging with young people in the Ceiriog Valley, during Home Office Questions in the Chamber of the House of Commons.
Mr Baynes highlighted the role of youth clubs and groups in teaching young people valuable skills and reducing crime and antisocial behaviour. He then asked the Minister to join him in praising the neighbourhood policing teams in Clwyd South, who work in partnership with youth services and local councils, such as in the Ceiriog Valley, where together they are involving more young people in the local rugby club and are hiring a mobile BMX bike course.
In response, Home Office Minister for Safeguarding, Victoria Atkins MP, said:
“I am very pleased to join my Hon. Friend in praising his local police, but also the local charities and other services that are working together to help young people to escape a life of crime. Sport can have many benefits. With our £200 million youth endowment fund, over the next 10 years, we will see the benefits of sport programmes, but also of other types of intervention to help to remove young people from the clutches of gang leaders. I am delighted also that my Hon. Friend’s police force has received almost 100 new police officers as part of this Government’s commitment to tackling violent crime and making our streets safer with 20,000 new officers.”
Commenting later, Mr Baynes said:
“As the Minister said, the neighbourhood policing team and local youth services have a transformative effect on our young people and on the communities they serve in Clwyd South. Our neighbourhood policing teams in Clwyd South do tremendous work, not only in combatting crime, but in being proactive in preventing crime and antisocial behaviour. And I will do my utmost to support them and their ongoing work in any way I can.”
