A POLICE chief reflected on how tackling crime has changed as her force is set to mark a major milestone.

This year is North Wales Police’ 50th anniversary and the force will be marking the occasion with a range of activities throughout 2024.

Policing has occurred in North Wales for over 160 years but North Wales Police as we now know it was officially formed on April 1, 1974.

North Wales Police was formed when the new counties of Gwynedd and Clwyd came into existence. 

The force served the geographical areas of both the new counties as had its predecessor, the Gwynedd Police, which had been formed on October 1, 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: “This is a big year for us as we turn 50. 

"But whilst much has changed since 1974, our core values remain the same – protecting people from harm, catching criminals and keeping our communities safe.

“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 – from firearms officers to dog handlers, from crime scene investigators to custody. The opportunities these days are endless.

“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. 

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"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.”

The force will be celebrating its past in a variety of ways throughout 2024, with regular features which will take members of the public behind the scenes of various departments, events and activities – including an open day to be held at police headquarters in Colwyn Bay in September.

North Wales Police would also like to create a display documenting the history of the force and would be interested to hear from anybody who may have memorabilia such as photographs, books, uniform, medals and interesting stories from the last 50 years.

Anyone who would like to contribute can contact Delyth Jones at the Corporate Communications Team via the 'Contact us' page on the force's website.