Force Open Day returns to celebrate 50th anniversary

The doors to Police Headquarters in Colwyn Bay will open to the public once again later this month for a unique look behind the scenes of North Wales Police.

To commemorate the Force’s 50^th anniversary, the public are invited to come along on Saturday 14 September to learn about the work we do across the region, watch some of our teams in action and get the latest information to keep you and your loved ones safe.

People will get the opportunity to meet some of our police dogs, speak to their local officers and find out how you could even join North Wales Police.

There will be an opportunity to sit in a police car and on a police motorbike, meet the Underwater Search Team, see the helicopter land and meet the team*, visit the Training Department in the gymnasium, visit the Fallback Control Room and learn more about how the 999 calls are dealt with, see how the Forensic Collision Investigation Team operate, meet the Drone Team and see the latest drone technology and learn about the work of the Fleet Department who manage all the force vehicles.

Our Police Cadets will take part in a drill, there’ll be arena displays from our Armed Alliance and police dogs, some of the stars of S4C’s Y Llinell Las will be in attendance, there will be public order displays, activities for children and food stalls.

A special exhibition will be held in one of our conference rooms to mark the 50^th anniversary which will include equipment, old uniform, photographs and stories from years gone by.

The free event will start at 10:30am and run until 4pm and is open to all ages.

The last Open Day was held in 2017 and Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman is looking forward to welcoming people to the event. She said: “This year we’re celebrating five decades of dedicated service to our communities, so the Open Day is a perfect way to commemorate this milestone.

“The key to successful policing is strong links and support from the community, and events such as this help to achieve this.

“The Open Day promises to be fun and enjoyable for visitors of all ages and gives us the opportunity to provide visitors with an insight into the work of the Force and to raise awareness of ongoing initiatives.

“I and the rest of the Chief Officer Team are looking forward to welcoming you to Police Headquarters.”

A number of external exhibitors will also be there on the day, including other emergency services including the RNLI, Coastguard and Mountain Rescue Teams.

*subject to operational demand and availability.