North Wales Police provides policing services to the areas of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham. The police force area covers 2,375 square miles with approximately 450 miles of coastline in the north of Wales. Although there are some more affluent areas, North Wales has a high level of poverty. Around 0.7 million people live in the predominantly rural setting. Its several distinct and small urban areas include the town of Wrexham. The resident population is increased by university students and the very large numbers who visit or travel through the area each year. The transport infrastructure also includes a major sea port.
HMICFRS independently assesses police forces and policing across activity from neighbourhood teams to serious crime and the fight against terrorism – in the public interest.
In preparing our reports, we ask the questions which citizens would ask, and publish the answers in accessible form, using our expertise to interpret the evidence. We provide authoritative information to allow the public to compare the performance of their force against others, and our evidence is used to drive improvements in the service to the public.
Force Area |
2375 square miles | |
Population |
0.69m people | 3% local 10 yr change |
Workforce |
76% frontline | 78% national level |
| 3.8 per 1000 population | 3.6 national level | |
| 2% change in local workforce since 2010 | 15% national change since 2010 |
Victim-based crimes |
0.05 per person | 0.06 national level |
| Local 5 year trend | National 5 year trend (no change) |
Cost |
58p per person per day local | 55p per person per day national |
Arfon Jones
Chief Constable Mark Polin QPM, appointed in September 2009
