PLAID Cymru’s Dafydd Llewelyn has been re-elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys, telling an audience in Llandysul it was “an honour and a privilege” to again hold the post.

Mr Llewelyn has held the post since 2016.

The elections took place on May 2nd, with the Ceredigion count and declaration of the commissioner taking place at Llandysul’s Ysgol Bro Teifi May 3rd.

The election saw four candidates vying for the post:

• Philippa Thompson (Labour and Co-operative Party)
• Ian Harrison (Welsh Conservatives)
• Justin Griffiths (Welsh Liberal Democrats)
• Dafydd Llywelyn (Plaid Cymru), the current commissioner

The role of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is to be the voice of the people and hold the police to account, and are responsible for the totality of policing.

PCCs aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within their police force area.

The Dyfed-Powys force area covers the counties of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Powys.

Overall votes for Dyfed-Powys were:

• Dafydd Llewelyn, 31,323
• Ian Harrison, 19,134
• Philippa Thompson, 18,353
• Justin Griffiths, 7,719

At the Ceredigion count Mr Llewelyn thanked the returning officer and staff for “working tirelessly,” adding: “Being the Police and Crime Commissioner in an area I’ve grown up in and worked all my life is quite an honour and a privilege, and I’m looking forward to serving a further four year term in office for Dyfed-Powys.”

Ceredigion results were: 7,146; 1,971; 1,716; and 1,307 respectively, with a 21.7 per cent turnout.

Pembrokeshire results saw Labour’s Philippa Thompson gain the majority, of 5,386, with Mr Harrison second on 5,168, Mr Llewelyn third on 4,643, and Mr Griffiths fourth on 1,209.

Carmarthenshire saw Mr Llewelyn lead, with 14,739 votes, followed by Labour on 7,395, conservative 5,430, and Liberal Democrats 2,037.

Powys saw a very different picture, with Mr Harrison leading.

• Conservative: 6,565
• Plaid Cymru: 4,795
• Labour: 3,856
• Liberal Democrats: 3,172

All four candidates have been contacted for their reaction following the re-election of Mr Llewelyn.

All four hopefuls had previously issued statements outlining why they should hold the position.

Philippa Thompson (Labour), in her statement, said: “There’s a huge crisis in funding for policing and public services. The Conservative Westminster Government has so much to answer for having destroyed our country’s economy. Labour believes security is the bedrock on which opportunities are built, communities thrive, and local economies prosper.

“Instead of standing up for security, the Tories have done the opposite. This wasn’t an accident – it was the result of deliberate choices. A choice to cut police from our streets, a choice to undermine respect for the rule of law. Our communities cannot afford more of the same. Things have got to change.

“Labour will be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.”

A statement on behalf of Ian Harrison (Conservative) said: “If elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed Powys Ian’s immediate priorities will be focused upon Force performance within the context of the Annual HMIC reports and he would plan to come to an early agreement with the Chief Constable to address this issue.

“Residents tell Ian that they want to see more police officers, and that they want action on anti-social behaviour, tackling County Lines gangs, domestic violence and rural crime.

“Dyfed Powys is an enormous rural area to police, and Ian intends to spend his time visiting and listening to many stakeholders and interest groups as he develops specific plans and initiatives to reduce crime, make residents safer and reinforce interfaces with victim support groups.”

Justin Griffiths (Welsh Liberal Democrat), in his statement, said: “If elected I would seek to implement a more transparent, accountable and community-based policing service.

“I would seek to restore proper community policing ensuring officers are visible in our communities and not diverted to other areas, whilst tackling inequalities in criminal justice and seek to implement the recommendations of the Thomas Commission in devolving of powers to the relevant devolved administration.

“I would implement a fairer and more compassionate policing service e.g. the focus on drug offenders being put on rehabilitation programs, this is an example of our holistic approach to reducing repeat offending and a reduction in court backlogs and overpopulated prisons.”

Dafydd Llywelyn (Plaid Cymru) said: “As your current Commissioner, operational, front-line policing has, and always will come before party politics. I have a strong track record of delivering on my promises and of listening to the communities of Dyfed Powys.

“I am proud of what I have achieved since 2016, but there is still so much to do.

“I am an approachable individual and I believe in listening to all members of the community in order to shape a successful police force.”

He says, since 2016, force area resources have been improved, and says he will “continue to put the victim at the heart of the service and develop a truly victim-led service”.

PLAID Cymru Candidate, Dafydd Llywelyn re-elected as Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner for his third term.

On Friday, 3rd of May 2024, it was confirmed that Plaid Cymru Candidate, Dafydd Llywelyn was re-elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys following the election on 2nd of May 2024.

The four candidates standing for election were:

• Ian Harrison (Conservative)
• Dafydd Llywelyn (Plaid Cymru)
• Philippa Thompson (Labour)
• Justin Griffiths (Welsh Liberal Democrats)

Dafydd Llywelyn issued the following statement: “I am extremely honoured to be re-elected as your Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys for the third successive time.

“Since I was elected to this role for the first time in 2016, we have made significant progress in enhancing community safety and improving our policing service for communities.

“I have a strong track record of listening to our communities’ concerns, and delivering on promises, and I am proud of what we have achieved, but there is still much to do.

“As I start this new term in Office, I am committed to build on the achievements to date and address the challenges that lie ahead.

“Transparency, accountability and collaboration will remain at the forefront of my efforts to ensure that we can improve public trust and confidence in policing.

“Your safety will continue to be my top priority. I want to ensure that the Dyfed Powys Police area remains one of the safest places to live in Wales and England.”

Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable, Dr Richard Lewis said:

“Many congratulations to Dafydd Llywelyn for this afternoon’s result. His re-election as Police and Crime Commissioner for Heddlu Dyfed-Powys Police for a third term means that we can look forward to continuing our work in service of the public, together. I also wish to extend my thanks to the other candidates for their positive engagement with the force during the last few months.”

‘New Voting System’

This was the fourth time Police and Crime Commissioner elections have been held, with the first election taking place in 2012.

Previous PCC elections in England and Wales have used the supplementary vote system, which is different to a normal election.

Supplementary voting is when voters mark on the ballot paper their first choice and can – if they wish, it’s not compulsory – mark on the ballot paper their second choice too.

However, following legislative changes, the 2024 PCC Elections used the first past the post voting system, where voters voted by choosing one candidate on the ballot paper. This is the same system as UK Parliamentary elections and local elections in England and Wales.

‘Results breakdown’

The results for Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner’s elections were as follows:

• Ian Harrison (Conservative) 25%
• Dafydd Llywelyn (Plaid Cymru) 41%
• Philippa Thompson (Labour) 24%
• Justin Griffiths (Welsh Liberal Democrats) 10%

The new PCC term begins on Thursday 9th of May 2024.

SIMON WILLIAMS, aged 41, residing at Woodland Close in St Florence, confessed to being involved in the distribution of cocaine during a recent appearance at Swansea Crown Court. The charges against him encompassed three counts related to cocaine offenses.

Williams faced accusations of possessing cocaine with the intent to supply on March 6, alongside a secondary charge of cocaine possession. Previously, he had entered pleas of not guilty to each allegation. However, subsequent to the acceptance of these pleas by the prosecution, verdicts of not guilty were recorded.

However, Williams had previously acknowledged involvement in the supply of cocaine. His admission was conditional, contending that his usage stemmed from a head injury and that he merely sold the substance to acquaintances to finance his personal consumption. Nonetheless, the prosecution contested this assertion, citing additional phone evidence discovered during investigations.

According to the prosecution, the evidence indicated Williams’ communication with approximately 20 individuals, suggesting a broader scope of supply beyond personal usage funding. Despite initial defenses, Williams’ legal representative, Dan Griffiths, informed the court that his client would no longer pursue this defense.

Williams openly confessed to being involved in the distribution of cocaine spanning from March 17 of the previous year to March 7 of the current year. In light of this admission, Griffiths requested an adjournment for sentencing, citing Williams’ need to organise his affairs prior to an expected custodial sentence. He emphasised Williams’ compliance with bail conditions as a testament to his sincerity.

Addressing Williams directly, Judge Paul Thomas KC announced, “I’ll put the matter back to May 17. You know what is going to happen then, but in the meantime I’ll give you two weeks to sort your affairs out.”

The case will resume on May 17, with Williams bracing for the likely outcome of a custodial sentence.