Colwyn Bay Businesses Meet North Wales PCC During Safety Week 2026

Key Points

• North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin made a trip to Colwyn Bay town centre on 9 November 2026 in support of Safer Business Action Week.
• In his company were West Conwy District Inspector Catherine Walker and PC Jacob Robbins from North Wales Police.
• They took a look at Sea View Road, Station Road, Penrhyn Road and Abergele Road, speaking with local businesses, officers and community members.
• Andy Dunbobbin visited Stanley & Lottie gift shop located in Penrhyn Road, where he spoke with its owner Caroline Stanyer.
• They discussed ways of collaborating between businesses, North Wales Police, Bay of Colwyn Business Forum and community organizations.
• The national initiative takes place 9-15 November 2026 and is run by the National Business Crime Centre.
• Visible patrols, visits of businesses, crime prevention discussions, intelligence-led enforcement and partnerships are some of the activities planned across North Wales.
• According to Inspector Walker, during this week Colwyn Bay officers will carry out visible patrols and visit stores to talk with staff, give advice on preventing crime and gather information.
• Also, she mentioned that they will use similar tactics in Llandudno during the targeted action week.
• North Wales Police noted an increase in shoplifting detections but admitted that there is still much to be done.
• Also, this year, there is a separate offense of assaulting a retail worker, as reported by Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales.
• This news story was published in Herald.Wales, North Wales Pioneer, Bayside Radio and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales.

Wales (Wales Times) November 14, 2026 — North uk/police/">Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin visited Colwyn Bay town centre on 9 November to meet local businesses and police officers during Safer Business Action Week, a national campaign focused on tackling business crime and strengthening community safety.

As reported by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales, the visit formed part of a wider week of coordinated activity across the region, running from 9 to 15 November 2026. The campaign is led by the National Business Crime Centre and brings together police forces, local authorities, businesses, Business Crime Reduction Partnerships, Business Improvement Districts and security partners.

Mr Dunbobbin was accompanied by West Conwy District Inspector Catherine Walker and PC Jacob Robbins. The group walked through key areas of the town centre, including Sea View Road, Station Road, Penrhyn Road and Abergele Road, speaking with police officers, businesses and members of the public about work being carried out to keep communities safe.

Why did the PCC visit Colwyn Bay?

The purpose of the visit was to highlight partnership working between local businesses, policing teams and community organisations during Safer Business Action Week. According to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales, the campaign is intended to address crime affecting the business community and improve safety for retailers, staff and customers.

As reported by North Wales Pioneer, the Commissioner’s visit was part of a national campaign aimed at reducing crime and improving safety in business communities. The publication reported that Mr Dunbobbin toured the town centre with Inspector Walker and PC Robbins, speaking to businesses, officers and members of the public.

Bayside Radio also reported that the visit coincided with Safer Business Action Week, which it said aims to strengthen partnerships between businesses, police and local organisations.

Which businesses were involved?

During the visit, Mr Dunbobbin stopped at Stanley & Lottie, a gift shop on Penrhyn Road, where he met owner Caroline Stanyer. Their discussion focused on the importance of strong partnerships between businesses, policing teams and local organisations in reducing crime and improving perceptions of Colwyn Bay.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales said discussions also highlighted work by local businesses, the Bay of Colwyn Business Forum and North Wales Police to address issues affecting the town centre, support economic growth and encourage greater footfall.

The office added that Stanley & Lottie had an array of Christmas gifting ideas and that the Commissioner was struck by the welcoming and festive atmosphere in the store, as well as the welcome from Ms Stanyer.

What did Andy Dunbobbin say?

As quoted by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales, Mr Dunbobbin said: “Safer Business Action Week is an important opportunity to recognise the vital contribution our businesses make to local communities and to highlight the work being carried out to support them.”

He added: “It was encouraging to hear directly from local business owners about the positive progress being made in Colwyn Bay and the value of the strong working relationships that exist between businesses, North Wales Police and partner organisations.”

Mr Dunbobbin also said: “Reducing crime and anti-social behaviour is not only important for keeping people safe, it also plays a key role in improving confidence in our town centres, encouraging investment and supporting local economies. The collaborative approach being taken here in Colwyn Bay demonstrates what can be achieved when everyone works together towards a common goal.”

North Wales Pioneer reported the same comments from the Commissioner, including his statement that the collaborative approach in Colwyn Bay demonstrated what could be achieved when everyone worked together towards a common goal.

What did North Wales Police say?

Inspector Catherine Walker said neighbourhood policing teams work closely with businesses throughout the year to address the issues that matter most to them and provide support where needed.

She said Safer Business Action Week allows police to build on those relationships through increased visibility, engagement and preventative activity. According to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales, she said: “Working alongside local businesses and partners helps us develop a better understanding of concerns, identify emerging issues and take coordinated action to prevent crime and improve safety across our communities.”

Inspector Walker also said high-visibility patrols were taking place in Colwyn Bay throughout the week. Officers were visiting stores to engage with staff, offer crime-prevention advice and gather information.

She added that officers would adopt the same proactive approach at various locations throughout Llandudno as part of the targeted week of action.

What action is taking place in North Wales?

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales said the week includes high-visibility patrols, crime-prevention engagement, business visits, intelligence-led enforcement activity and partnership initiatives designed to support retailers and other businesses.

North Wales Pioneer similarly reported that the campaign includes high-visibility patrols, business visits, crime-prevention engagement and intelligence-led enforcement across North Wales.

Bayside Radio reported that the week of action began on Monday, 9 November, and was intended to bring together police, businesses and community partners to tackle offences including shoplifting, business burglary, anti-social behaviour and abuse directed at shop workers.

Has shoplifting detection improved?

Inspector Walker said North Wales Police were seeing an increase in detection rates for shoplifting. She described the development as encouraging, while adding that there was always more work to do.

According to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales, she said:

“We are determined to engage even further with local businesses and communities so that they feel safer and more confident to shop and operate locally.”

The statement was also reported by North Wales Pioneer, which quoted the inspector on the increased detection rates and the force’s intention to engage further with local businesses and communities.

What has changed for retail workers?

This year has seen the introduction of a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker, according to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales. The office said the change strengthens protections for people working in shops and customer-facing roles.

North Wales Pioneer also reported that the year marks the introduction of a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, offering new legal protections for those in customer-facing roles.

The change was mentioned in the context of Safer Business Action Week, which the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales described as a campaign addressing crime affecting the business community.

Who leads Safer Business Action Week?

Safer Business Action Week is led nationally by the National Business Crime Centre. It brings together police forces, local authorities, businesses, Business Crime Reduction Partnerships, Business Improvement Districts and security partners.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners described Safer Business Action Week as an annual national campaign bringing police forces, business leaders, retailers and partners together to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and improve awareness of their impact on businesses and retailers.

The campaign runs from 9 to 15 November 2026, according to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales and the National Business Crime Centre’s published force plans.

Background of the development

Safer Business Action Week is a national initiative designed to bring police, businesses and community partners together to address crime affecting the business community. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales said the 2026 campaign runs from 9 to 15 November and is led by the National Business Crime Centre.

The campaign includes coordinated activity across North Wales, including high-visibility patrols, business visits, crime-prevention engagement, intelligence-led enforcement and partnership initiatives.

Mr Dunbobbin is the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales and, alongside Katy Bourne OBE, serves as a joint Business and Retail Crime lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. The Association said the two leads responded to the Government’s announcement of a Prolific Retail Offender Pilot, which is to be rolled out across up to 16 forces.

Prediction: how this may affect local businesses

For Colwyn Bay retailers, the visible police presence and business engagement during the week may provide a short-term increase in reassurance for shop staff, owners and customers. The stated activities—store visits, crime-prevention advice and patrols—are designed to improve communication between businesses and neighbourhood policing teams.

For business owners, closer engagement with police and local partners could help identify recurring concerns, share information about emerging issues and support coordinated prevention work. Inspector Walker said this approach helps police develop a better understanding of concerns and take action to prevent crime and improve safety.

For shoppers and town-centre workers, the reported increase in shoplifting detection rates may contribute to confidence in local policing, although the force itself acknowledged that further work remains necessary. The introduction of a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker may also affect customer-facing staff by providing an additional legal protection against violence at work.