Crime and criminals

[Merddin Emrys]

Agreed!    Householders should be able to do anything they like to defend their property, the law is nonsense in this case!  He should get a medal (as should Tony Martin!)

[Ian]

Mail online:

Four men, wearing dark clothing and balaclavas, apparently tried to smash their way through the back door of the terraced house just before midnight on Wednesday.

It's interesting. Sounds more like some sort of revenge attack, rather than a simple burglary.

[DaveR]

Councillor’s Colwyn Bay fears
Jul 14 2011
by Ian Hughes, North Wales Weekly News

A COLWYN Bay councillor has declared he no longer feels safe walking through the town in the daytime.
Bob Squire, who serves Old Colwyn, made the controversial comments at a full county council meeting last week.
“It is a troubling image,” he said. “I visited Lloyd’s Bank in the town and staff there told me that people no longer feel safe in the town during the day.
“As I walked to the bank I saw one couple having a set-to in the street.
“Just a little while down the road I saw another couple arguing. One man was talking to his boy, who asked something along the lines of ‘what is that?’, to which the man replied: ‘I don’t know and I don’t f****** care’. And this was just in a ten minute walk.
“People are afraid to walk through Colwyn Bay,” – before adding that he felt much the same way.

The statement was met with general disapproval from the rest of the council.
“You saw it but what did you do?” questioned Llandudno councillor Ronnie Hughes. “When you come out with statements like that, you are bringing down the rest of the authority.”
Chair of the council Brenda Taylor then stated: “I request that this conversation be continued outside the chamber.”

This is not the first time Cllr Squire has made controversial comments about the town he represents.
In January he claimed Colwyn Bay is being dragged down by “undesirables” moving from Rhyl.
He said the regeneration of Rhyl and the demolition of bedsit flats on the town’s seafront has caused a population shift, an in-migration of problem tenants which has boosted the demand for such accommodation in Colwyn Bay.
He also blamed the town’s drug problems on “outsiders” following a police raid in 2009.
Cllr Squire said at the time: “It doesn’t surprise me to find a drug factory anywhere in the Colwyn Bay area.
“We know there is quite an industry for drug dealing in this area. You only have to look around to notice individuals who are new to the area.”

He later voiced fears that seaside resorts are in danger of being turned into drug ghettos by organised criminals.
Cllr Squire levelled criticism at the way the grand old hotels and luxury houses of the past were turned over to multiple occupancy.
Bob Squire became a councillor in November 2003, having stood as an independent on a mandate to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
He says: “The aim was to address the area’s many problems regarding houses with multiple occupants.”

http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/conwy-county-news/local-conwy-news/2011/07/14/councillor-s-colwyn-bay-fears-55243-29047626/

Cllr Squire is absolutely right - I see similar things on a regular basis in Colwyn Bay.  For councillors like Ronnie Hughes to just pretend the problem doesn't exist is ridiculous - he probably hasn't set foot in Colwyn Bay in years.

[Fester]

I don't visit Colwyn Bay much, for similar reasons.... similar to why I don't like Rhyl.

Councillor Squire is entitled to his opinion, and should not be ushered outside and silenced.

Too many important problems are brushed aside and ignored, until its too late.
Despite colossal investment being pumped in, it may well already be too late for Colwyn Bay.

Massive investment was poured into Rhyl some years ago... what did it really achieve?

Six months ago Dave R and I met with a senior official at CCBC, he assured us that in Colwyn Bay, the whole re-structure was being managed in a 'joined up thinking' type way,  and that the lessons of Rhyl had been learned.

I am very doubtful of that.

[Ian]

Well, since the advent of the coalition government, their own figures show that crime has been rising steadily. Now, this phenomenon almost certainly has nothing to do with the government itself (although either of the two main parties would have had a field day had it happened to the other), but the general rise in reported crime is bound to affect the less well off areas, such as parts of Old Colwyn.

The hotel multiple occupancy argument is also relevant, but - short of knocking them all down and forcibly relocating the tenants - what do they do?

The bad language, of which he provides a fairly typical example, is interesting, however. I sometimes wonder if it's more the threat of danger, often through noisy and loutish behaviour, than the actual reality of such that alarms people.

[DaveR]

Just walked through Colwyn Bay; in the space of 5 minutes I saw a couple sitting in a prom shelter surrounded by bottles of beer, then 3 men sitting on the slipway with a case of beer. Oh, and a man walking along the road shouting at himself. Unless these problems are tackled, all the regeneration money being spent is not going to attract decent people back to the town.

[Yorkie]

When one considers the long list of interests that Councillor PJE has, outside of his reponsibilities as a County and Town Councillor, it is a wonder he has time to sleep at nights, let alone do anything constructive for the town!  Apparently the list is available from the Freedom of Information site at www.whatdotheyknow.com in the Llandudno section and all Town Councillors' interests are listed.    WWW

[Hugo]

Just walked through Colwyn Bay; in the space of 5 minutes I saw a couple sitting in a prom shelter surrounded by bottles of beer, then 3 men sitting on the slipway with a case of beer. Oh, and a man walking along the road shouting at himself. Unless these problems are tackled, all the regeneration money being spent is not going to attract decent people back to the town.

Would the shelter be anywhere near the Rothesay Hotel Dave because I've seen that many times when I've walked the dog onto the beach down the nearby slipway?
When I was having a coffee on the banks of the Liffey in Dublin I witnessed two men walking past with cans of beer in their hands. What happened next was that a Garda policeman just took the cans away from them and walked a short distance before emptying the cans down the drain.  He then went back and gave them a ticket each.
Now that's what Policing should be about and it'll certainly encourage me to visit that beautiful city again.

[Hugo]

What did Councillor Ronnie Hughes expect Councillor Squires to do in those circumstances?   Would he has tackled the trouble makers I wonder!
Perhaps Ronnie is just staking his claim for leadership of CCBC?       

[Yorkie]

Perhaps Ronnie is just staking his claim for leadership of CCBC?       

What!  Against Ken Finch and his cronies?   He doesn't stand a chance!    It has to go to someone with a first class financial background - Hmmmm!  Or could that leave Finch out of the running?        

Maybe the other double jointed Finch will put herself forward!   WWW

[Yorkie]

List of Interests from just two Councillors, see 04.26 posting!

Cllr Terence Davies: Chardon Trustee (Llandudno Museum); Penrhynside Village
Hall; North Wales Play Assoc Rep; Llandudno Town Band Rep; Mostyn Gallery
Rep; Glanwydden School Governor; Marks & Spencer employee; Richard Owen
Scholarship Foundation Trustee; Llandudno Relief in Need Trustee;  Welsh Conservative Party; N.A.H.T. Life member; Johnson Endowment
Trustee.

Cllr Philip C Evans, JP: Conwy County Borough Councillor; North Wales Fire
Authority; Chardon Trust Chairman; Richard Owen Scholarship Foundation
Chairman; Llandudno Relief in Need Charity Chairman; occasional Consultancy
for Aaron & Partners Solicitors Chester; 9 Gwydyr Road (Half share); 3 Somerset
Street (quarter share); Victoria Club CYD Ltd unpaid Director; Arriva Trains Wales
Passenger Panel member; Llanrhos Parochial Church Council member; Llandudno
Historical Society member; Amicu retired member; Johnson Endowment Trustee;
Glas Cymru Cyf member; Lacors Director (appointed by LGA).

[Fester]

Just walked through Colwyn Bay; in the space of 5 minutes I saw a couple sitting in a prom shelter surrounded by bottles of beer, then 3 men sitting on the slipway with a case of beer. Oh, and a man walking along the road shouting at himself. Unless these problems are tackled, all the regeneration money being spent is not going to attract decent people back to the town.

So...if Dave and Hugo are seeing these things, and Bob Squire is commenting on them, what are the Police doing about it?
I am not, (and never will be) a police-basher, as I think they do a hard job extremely well, (usually) ... but this is illegal activity, happening all around them, and I never hear of it being clamped down on.
Instead, I witnessed a 'Hit Squad' of traffic wardens on Happy Valley Rd the other night, blitzing every parked vehicle they could with fines.
What the hell is going on?  Persecuting motorists, (and deterring tourism) ... and we are paying the overtime for this no doubt.

Its insanity, what harm are people doing parking for free on a half empty road in the evening?
The priorites are all wrong.

[DaveR]

So...if Dave and Hugo are seeing these things, and Bob Squire is commenting on them, what are the Police doing about it?

Now you mention it, i didn't see any police at all in Colwyn Bay, whether on foot or in cars.

[Ian]

I witnessed a 'Hit Squad' of traffic wardens on Happy Valley Rd the other night, blitzing every parked vehicle they could with fines.

Exactly where?

[Yorkie]

Probably at the Car Park and the marked parking areas on the road.   Nothing more that a cash extracting exercise at the expense of the motorist.   The majority of these cars will be people staying in The Grand.   The Parking Department has gone daft over recent years.

But put a woman in charge and this is what you'll get!