Day in, day out, I see in the town where I live, Pontypridd, fantastic work being done by both police officers and PCSOs to make our town a better place to live, going above and beyond to help the community through a number of initiatives, but equally I know they are overstretched, and that, simply put, they have to try and fill the gaps left by services such as youth clubs. They are spending so, so much time because they are trying to work with a system that fundamentally doesn't work.

We see a deterioration in crime rates as a symptom of this: total recorded crime in Wales at the end of December 2022 was 275,233, up nearly 25,000 from the previous year. This means that the rate of crime in Wales currently stands at 88.6 per 1,000 people—the highest level since the Office for National Statistics first collated data in 2015. It's apparent that this is part of a longer term trend. Crime rates have risen each year in Wales since 2013, with the exception of 2020, and apart from burglaries and drug-related offences, there have been increases in each category of crime in Wales over the past year, with substantial rises in theft, at 33 per cent, bicycle theft at 19 per cent, and shoplifting at 31 per cent, in particular.

Anecdotally, I know, from speaking to police officers and PCSOs, that the link between the cost-of-living crisis and those statistics is something that is of huge concern. The fact that we're criminalising people because they can't afford some fundamental things such as food now is a concern. The fact that they're being criminalised for some of the political decisions that have led to that situation is something that we should reflect on. The rate of violent crime in Wales is also higher than the UK average, at 37.7 per cent per 1,000 people, compared to 35.8 previously.

At this stage, it's worth reflecting on the situation in Scotland, where justice and policing are fully devolved. Over the past decade, recorded crime in Scotland has generally decreased, and currently stands at its lowest level since 1974. Moreover, the crime rate in Scotland at the end of December of last year was around 52 per 1,000. It's worth understanding and exploring further how different approaches can make a difference, and ensure that when we have the powers here in Wales—because I'm convinced that it's a matter of when we have them, rather than if—then our approach will be one bespoke for the challenges we face. After all, we have a criminal justice system that is failing too many people. Too many UK Governments have favoured heavy-handed incarceration over rehabilitation, which is disproportionately weighted against some of our most vulnerable people living here in Wales today.

The prison population of Wales, as of December of last year, was 5,154, or 165.9 per 100,000 of the Welsh population. It's one of the highest rates in Europe. We see that our prisons are overstretched. If we look at Cardiff prison, for instance, it's overcrowded: 138 per cent; Swansea, 155 per cent. Thirty years from the murder of Stephen Lawrence, which exposed the full extent of institutional racism within the police, we see huge issues, with, in 2022, 27 per cent of prisoners in England and Wales identifying as an ethnic minority, compared with 13 per cent of the general population. We've seen allegations of misogyny and racism at Gwent Police that, sadly, are by no means isolated nor exceptional instances across Wales and England. We can do so much better here in Wales—a system that works for people and finds solutions. We cannot allow a Conservative Government or a Labour Government, should there be one after the next election, to continue to fail our communities. I hope we can work together as a Senedd to demand these powers now and fully.