Panel seeks answers over Penally asylum camp costs

The Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel are seeking answers over costs incurred due to the demand for extra policing at an asylum seekers camp in Pembrokeshire.

The question will be raised at this week’s meeting of the Panel, due to be held virtually at 10.30am on Friday, February 5.

Member of the Panel, Cllr Keith Evans, will ask Dafydd Llywelyn, the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner, how much it has cost to police the camp at Penally, which was brought into use by the Home Office to house asylum seekers in September.

The camp has been the subject of significant attention, attracting protests and creating tensions in the surrounding communities.

Cllr Evans plans to ask the Commissioner what actions he has taken in the wake of demand for additional policing, and assurance that policing in other parts of the force area has not been adversely impacted.

It is one of a series of issues that the Panel will raise at Friday’s meeting.

Members will also hear the Commissioner outlining his plans for the policing precept which is collected as part of Council Tax.

Meetings of the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel are held in public – a livestream of the meeting will be available via the Panel website, along with archives of previous meetings.

Panel members, representing the four local authorities in the force area, have a duty to hold the Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn to account.

They meet with him regularly to challenge and scrutinise his work.

There are no public questions on the agenda for Friday, however people are being reminded that they can put questions forward for future meetings.

Questions can be submitted online, or in writing at DPPandCrimepanel@carmarthenshire.gov.uk at least 10 days before the next meeting of the Panel.

Visit www.dppoliceandcrimepanel.wales for more information about the Panel, its membership, forthcoming meeting dates, agendas and webcasting links, as well as submitting questions for the Panel to put to the Commissioner.