Sam Rowlands MS for North Wales wants to see police officers being able to fully focus on their jobs
Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Rowlands, Welsh Conservative and Shadow Minister for Local Government, asked what efforts had been made to allow police officers to focus on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
He said:
One of the best ways of reducing crime and anti-social behaviour is ensuring that our hard-working police officers and PCSOs are able to fully focus their time and efforts on their very clear areas of responsibility.
Back in July, I raised the issue that police forces are facing across Wales at the moment, often being distracted from their clear priorities and focus. Police officers to have to deal with work that usually sits in other public service areas, such as in health or in social services.
Minister, you stated that many of these issues are being raised through the policing partnership board whilst working with policing colleagues.
In light of this, I was wondering whether you have an update on what efforts are being made to reduce police time having to focus on non-policing issues to enable them and allow them to focus on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
Social Justice Minister, Jane Hutt agreed that PCSOs play a crucial role in promoting community safety and tackling anti-social behaviour and acting as ears and eyes on the ground for police forces.
However, she added it was also about local relationships and so many of those are with local authorities, with social services, housing, youth workers, et cetera, as well as with health colleagues. It is very inter-related in terms of tackling crime.
Mr Rowlands added:
While I appreciate that the police do have to work closely with other organisations I still feel there is not enough being done to take away those pressures.
This increase has seen police officers dealing with defibrillators, tied up in A&E for hours on end, at times, waiting for those they may have arrested to be seen, along with assisting with mental health issues.
I am concerned about our police forces being taken away from their traditional work of solving crime and dealing with anti-social behaviour.
Pryderon Sam Rowlands AS am faint o amser mae'r heddlu'n ei dreulio ddim yn ymdrin â throseddau
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr AS dros Ogledd Cymru, am weld swyddogion yr heddlu'n canolbwyntio'n llawn ar eu swyddi
Wrth siarad yn y Senedd, gofynnodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Gwrthblaid y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig dros Lywodraeth Leol, pa ymdrech sydd wedi’i gwneud er mwyn helpu heddweision i ganolbwyntio ar leihau troseddau ac ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol.
Meddai:
Un o'r ffyrdd gorau o leihau troseddau ac ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol yw sicrhau bod ein heddweision a Swyddogion Cymorth Cymunedol yr Heddlu, sy'n gweithio'n galed, yn gallu canolbwyntio eu hamser a'u hymdrechion yn llawn ar eu meysydd cyfrifoldeb clir iawn.
Nôl ym mis Gorffennaf, fe wnes i godi'r mater mae heddluoedd yn ei wynebu ledled Cymru ar hyn o bryd, a hwythau’n aml yn cael eu tynnu oddi ar eu blaenoriaethau a'u ffocws amlwg. Mae heddweision yn gorfod delio â gwaith sydd fel arfer yn perthyn i feysydd gwasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill, fel iechyd neu wasanaethau cymdeithasol.
Weinidog, fe ddywedoch chi fod nifer o'r materion hyn yn cael eu codi trwy'r bwrdd partneriaeth plismona wrth weithio gyda chydweithwyr plismona.
Yn sgil hyn, tybed a oes gennych chi ddiweddariad am ba ymdrechion sy'n cael eu gwneud i leihau faint o amser mae'r heddlu yn gorfod ei dreulio yn canolbwyntio ar faterion nad ydyn nhw’n ymwneud â phlismona er mwyn eu galluogi i fedru canolbwyntio ar leihau troseddu ac ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol?
Cytunodd Jane Hutt, y Gweinidog Cyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, fod PCSOs yn chwarae rhan hanfodol wrth hyrwyddo diogelwch cymunedol a mynd i'r afael ag ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol, gan weithredu fel clustiau a llygaid ar lawr gwlad i luoedd yr heddlu.
Fodd bynnag, ychwanegodd ei fod hefyd yn ymwneud â pherthnasoedd lleol a bod cymaint o'r rheini gydag awdurdodau lleol, y gwasanaethau cymdeithasol, tai, gweithwyr ieuenctid ac ati yn ogystal â chydweithwyr iechyd. Mae mynd i'r afael â throseddau yn waith rhyng-gysylltiedig iawn.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Er fy mod i'n gwerthfawrogi bod yn rhaid i'r heddlu weithio'n agos gyda sefydliadau eraill rwy'n dal i deimlo nad oes digon yn cael ei wneud i dynnu'r pwysau hynny oddi arnyn nhw.
Mae'r cynnydd hwn wedi gweld heddweision yn delio gyda diffibrilwyr, yn sownd mewn adrannau damweiniau ac achosion brys am oriau maith weithiau, yn aros i'r rhai y gallen nhw fod wedi'u harestio i gael eu gweld gan feddyg, ac yn cynorthwyo gyda phroblemau iechyd meddwl.
Rwy'n poeni bod ein heddluoedd yn cael eu tynnu oddi wrth eu gwaith traddodiadol o ddatrys troseddau ac ymdrin ag achosion o ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol.
