A NEWLY APPOINTED senior police official has vowed to focus on neighbourhood policing and calls for communities across North Wales to back their officers.

Richard Debicki, the new deputy chief constable for North Wales Police, is the force’s lead on public satisfaction and confidence and has previously had responsibility for neighbourhood policing teams.

DCC Debicki joined North Wales Police as assistant chief constable five years ago from Lancashire Constabulary, where he started his career in 1993. In his last role there he was divisional commander for headquarters operations.

DCC Debicki brings a wealth of experience to the position, which also includes his current role as the All-Wales lead for the Welsh language and for citizens in policing and youth justice.

He said is “very proud” to take on the senior role in North Wales Police and will put his five years of experience in the force to use, helping with the police’s new Police and Crime Plan.

DCC Debicki said: ‘I feel extremely privileged to have been appointed as the new deputy chief constable for North Wales Police. Having worked within the force for almost five years my heart is in the force and in public service in North Wales. I feel very proud to be living and working amongst our communities.

“I will be working to support the new chief constable Carl Foulkes in ensuring that North Wales Police delivers outstanding services to our communities and supporting the police and commissioner Arfon Jones in delivering his Police and Crime Plan.

“We have placed a significant emphasis on protecting vulnerable people – victims of domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation, modern day slavery, sexual abuse and organised crime – these will continue to be my key priorities in the new role, and we will continue to focus our efforts in protecting the most vulnerable people in society.

DCC Debicki has a portfolio of experience in local policing services with responsibility for police community support officers and neighbourhood policing teams, as well as criminal investigation departments. He said the police will find new ways to communicate with the public and focus on neighbourhood policing. He said: “We will be working to deliver alternative services and ways for the public to contact and engage with us – our work in respect of digital policing will be essential here – and I believe that people being able to access our services at a time and in a way that best suits their needs is an important element of providing a quality service.

“I firmly believe in strong personal contact between our police officers and staff and our communities, and we will place much emphasis on neighbourhood policing in order to ensure that the public have confidence in us as a service – essentially people want to be reassured that they will get help when they need it, and that they are able to talk to people in their communities who understand their problems.

“I am proud to lead in an organisation with such committed public servants. They deserve mine and our communities’ support, given the huge challenges faced in a modern day police service.

“Supporting the wellbeing of our staff who place themselves in harm’s way daily in order to protect the public is important to me. I am also committed to delivering a workforce that is representative of our rich and diverse communities in North Wales.”