News
Figures show continued efforts to keep communities safe, say police
FOLLOWING the release of national figures by the National Police Chief’s Council, relating to crime and policing during the ongoing pandemic, Chief Constable Mark Collins has commented on the work ongoing across the Dyfed-Powys Police area to support the national effort.
“The figures released this week reflect the work that has gone into ensuring that we do all we can to protect our communities across the four counties we serve.
“Whilst our population number in relative terms is small, we cover half of the landmass of Wales. Annually we welcome more than ten million people to our area, and while together with our partners we have said for now, our counties are closed, some people haven’t listened to this and have continued to put communities and the NHS at risk.
“My officers have been out there for the last two weeks, since the legislation was introduced, working hard to engage and educate those who are out and about with no reasonable excuse.
“The need for us all to do this is clear – we are being asked to stay at home and limit our movement, in order that we can relieve pressure on our NHS, and ultimately provide people with a better opportunity to survive, should they be infected with the virus.
“The vast majority of our communities are complying with what we have all been asked to do, and I hope discussion today in relation to the action we have taken against those who risk putting us all in danger, sends a sign that Dyfed-Powys Police will do all we can to help this national effort succeed.”
Further to the operational data and comments provided by the Chief Constable, Dafydd Llywelyn the Police and Crime Commissioner stated that the figures show the exceptional proactive work of Dyfed Powys Police in responding to the COVID-19 Emergency.
“I have been impressed with the level of activity across the Force area during this critical time and I would like to publicly thank officers, staff and volunteers working hard to safeguard our communities.
“I am also proud of the majority of the public who have responded positively to the guidelines and have shown resolve and patients during this difficult time.
“In terms of the workforce abstraction rate and overall change to crime related demand, it is very pleasing and reassuring to see that we compare well to the national averages”.
Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued… | |
since introduction of legislation | 27.03.2020 – 14.04.2020 | 368 |
during the Easter bank holiday | 10.04.2020 – 13.04.2020 | 123 |
Overall change to crime related demand during the COVID-19 pandemic (to date) | |
Compared to same period 2019 | 35% reduction |
National average (as above) | 28% reduction |
Workforce abstraction rate… | |
Force average during normal times | Between 4-5% |
Force average during COVID-19 pandemic (to date) | Currently 6% |
National average during COVID-19 pandemic (to date) | Currently 10% |
News
Carmarthenshire takes leading role in latest Celtic Noir – ‘Out There’
Carmarthenshire looks set to take another leading role as the location for ITV’s highly anticipated gritty drama ‘Out There’,
Produced by Buffalo Pictures and starring Martin Clunes, the programme will be aired on January 19.
The news means that Carmarthenshire is fast gaining recognition as a hub for the Celtic Noir genre of filming, and the new six-part thriller joins the many TV and film productions which have been drawn by the county’s dramatic, beguiling landscapes and attractive market towns.
It follows on from the highly acclaimed BBC’s Keeping Faith as well as The Light in the Hall/ Y Golau for Channel 4.
‘Out There’ will showcase Carmarthenshire’s natural beauty against the malice of an insidious crime wave sweeping the British countryside, led by county lines drug dealers and urban gangs that use the countryside as their field of operations. Martin Clunes stars as farmer and single parent, Nathan Williams, who runs a farm which has been in his family for generations.
Many of the filing locations can now be visited by following Discover Carmarthenshire’s new ‘Set Jetter Trail’ which provides insider tips on how best to follow the sometimes eerie paths that many stars have taken around the county.
Crime
Father of baby girl killed in Tenby incident says its been like a ‘horror movie’
A SIX-MONTH-OLD baby girl has tragically died after her pram was struck by a car in a multi-storey car park in Tenby, Pembrokeshire.
Sophia Kelemen, described as “smiley and bubbly,” suffered catastrophic brain injuries in the collision on Thursday (Jan 2). Despite being airlifted to a Cardiff hospital, the injuries proved fatal.
Sophia’s family, from Greater Manchester, had been on holiday in Wales and were preparing to head home when the incident occurred.
Her father, Alex Kelemen, 27, told the BBC: “Just before we got to the car, the horror movie started.
“It’s been horrific to see our little daughter lying in that hospital bed and going through all those procedures. Everybody loved her—our friends, our family. She’s always going to live in my heart. I know she’s watching over me every day.”
Sophia’s parents now face the heartbreaking task of explaining the tragedy to their five-year-old son, Lucas.
“He’s been asking about his little sister every day,” said Mr Kelemen. “The hardest thing I’ve ever done is explain to him that God loved his sister more than we did. I told him that God gave Sophia a new pair of wings so she could fly above him and protect him.
“There are things I just don’t know how to explain to him. He’s our only child now, and everything we do is for him.”
Family’s heartbreak
Sophia’s aunt, Adriana Kelemen, recounted the devastating events to the Manchester Evening News.
“They were on a short break in Wales with family friends,” she said. “It was their last day. They’d been out, and then they went to the supermarket.
“It happened in the car park. The pram Sophia was in was destroyed.”
Support for devastated family
Fundraising efforts are now underway to support Sophia’s family. Two GoFundMe pages—one in English and one in Romanian—have been launched to cover funeral costs and repatriation expenses. The family plans to bury Sophia in Romania.
Meanwhile, Flaviu Naghi, 33, from Wigan, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, as well as driving without a licence or insurance. He is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on February 7.
Donations to assist the family can be made via the GoFundMe pages.
Pictured:
Tragic loss: Six-month-old Sophia Kelemen, pictured with dad Alex, died after her pram was hit by a car (Pic: Dyfed-Powys Police)
News
Wales at the forefront of UK drive to ‘turbocharge’ AI
THE FIRST MINISTER OF WALES Eluned Morgan has welcomed today’s announcement from the UK Government of a multi-billion pound investment in Artificial Intelligence.
The UK Opportunities Action Plan, launched by Prime Minister Keir Starmer today, aims to drive economic growth, support public services and use intelligent technology to improve people’s every day lives.
Wales is uniquely placed to benefit from the AI infrastructure plans, with work already underway to develop tech hubs, shared resources and data centres.
As part of the investment announced today, US technology giant Vantage Data Centers plans to invest over £12 billion across the UK, resulting in the creation of over 11,500 jobs. The Welsh Government has been working closely with Vantage since 2020 to support the development of its data centres in Wales.
It is expected that the lion’s share of the new investment from Vantage will be in Wales. The biggest investment will be in Bridgend, where the company plans to develop the former Ford factory site to become one of Europe’s largest data centre campuses.
The First Minister is keen to ensure Wales benefits from the investment in AI, saying:
“Today’s announcement, which includes a multi-billion pound investment in AI by some of the world’s biggest tech companies, is a huge boost in confidence for industry in Wales.
“We are seeing that AI is increasingly being used as a power for good, whether that’s increasing productivity or bringing smarter solutions to everyday problems.
“There can be enormous benefits to the economy in establishing the tech and wider infrastructure here in Wales. Industry leaders recognise that the conditions are right in Wales, with a government that will do what it can to make these plans a reality.
“This won’t happen overnight and it’s important that the infrastructure, data, skills and talent is in place to ensure that we all benefit from these solutions. There’s no question that Wales is in an excellent position to benefit, given the work that’s already in progress here.”
The Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans is leading a review to explore how Wales can capitalise on opportunities and develop Wales’ strengths in the development of AI-based technologies.
Over the past year, the Welsh Government has worked with other organisations to develop guidance to support Welsh public bodies in adopting AI in a responsible, safe and ethical way.
Wales has already seen evidence of the value of AI implementation in diagnostic care in the NHS, with a digital pathology platform for prostate and breast cancer detection led by Betsi Cadwaladr seeing a 13% increase in prostate cancer detection rates.
Estyn, the school inspectorate, is also undertaking a review of the use of Generative AI in schools, which will explore the potential benefits to schools, while also considering the challenges they pose.
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