North Wales Police is 50 this year and a range of activities to showcase their heritage and highlight how policing has changed will be organised.
North Wales Police was formed on 1 April 1974 when the new counties of Gwynedd and Clwyd came into existence. It served the geographical areas of both new counties as had its predecessor, Gwynedd Police, which was formed on 1 October 1967 by the merger of the former Flintshire, Denbighshire and Gwynedd Constabularies, the latter having been the police force for Caernarvonshire, Anglesey and Merionethshire.
Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said: “North Wales Police has changed in several ways over the last 50 years, changes which have been necessary to maintain and improve our policing services. Technology has advanced to transform how we work today and assist us in solving crimes quicker - officers can view images and retrieve information at the touch of a button, we’ve invested heavily in the latest drone technology and our fleet have modernised with electric vehicles being introduced onto the roads.
“Of course, equality for women has come on leaps and bounds – a female Chief Constable would have been unthinkable 50 years ago. Now women are able to carry out every role in the force without restriction.
“Our passion and commitment to helping to keep our communities safe has remained the same over the last 50 years. One key thing we’ve always been able to rely on has been the support of the communities we serve. The contribution made by the communities of North Wales in helping us to fight crime cannot be underestimated and I would like to thank everyone for their support.
“I am proud of the modern force we have today, and I am extremely proud to lead an organisation full of dedicated and hardworking officers, staff and volunteers who are committed in delivering the best possible service to our communities.
“We’ve also recently undertaken a full rebrand of the North Wales Police crest. This was done following the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and we, alongside numerous other public sector organisations, began a process of updating our Force Crest and all the associated branding to reflect the new monarch, King Charles III. We’re proud of our identity and are pleased to be introducing the new crest as part of our 50th celebrations. I look forward to inviting you to help us celebrate 50 years of North Wales Police.”
North Wales Police would like to put together an exhibition to celebrate their 50th anniversary and need your help to put it together. Anyone with memorabilia from the force over the last 50 years should contact www.northwales.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us-beta/contact-us/something-else/