Force Good at Investigating Crime and Protecting Vulnerable

28ain Chwefror 2017

A report published today has found that Gwent Police has an effective approach to reducing crime and anti-social behaviour and is good at investigating crime and protecting vulnerable people, particularly victims of domestic abuse.

Following an inspection between September and December 2016, the Police Effectiveness report published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) today has graded Gwent Police on its overall effectiveness by looking at five specific areas:

  1. How effective is the force at preventing crime, tackling anti-social behaviour and keeping people safe?
  2. How effective is the force at investigating crime and reducing re-offending?
  3. How effective is the force at protecting from harm those who are vulnerable and supporting victims?
  4. How effective is the force at tackling serious and organised crime?
  5. How effective is the force's specialist capabilities?

Gwent Police received an overall rating of 'Good' (the same as last year) with HMIC emphasising that the Force is effective at keeping people safe and reducing crime and has the necessary arrangements in place to ensure it can respond to national threats. The report also highlights that:

  • Domestic abuse is still a clear priority for the Force;
  • the way the force is organised helps it to engage effectively with communities and to identify and tackle neighbourhood problems;
  • Gwent Police works well with partner organisations to develop solutions that protect communities, prevent or reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and keep people safe;
  • The Force makes good use of new technology to prevent and reduce crime;
  • Its response to missing children is good and processes are in place to tackle child sexual exploitation, and;
  • Gwent Police has a good understanding of the current firearms and terrorist threats facing the Southern Wales region.

The report also highlights areas for improvement with regards to how the Force tackles serious and organised crime. According to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, this is an area the Force is actively seeking to address and the recent drugs operation conducted by 300 officers in Newport - the largest in Gwent Police's history - is a prime example of the way the Force has been working to actively tackle serious organised crime.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, said: "Preventing crime, tackling anti-social behaviour and protecting the most vulnerable people in our communities are amongst the key priorities in my police and crime plan for Gwent.

I was pleased to see the Force being praised for its efforts in these areas. Whilst there is room for improvement, the report overall is very good news and I know that the Force is proactively working to address some of the areas highlighted by HMIC. A recent example would be the successful operation it conducted to seriously disrupt the supply and distribution of Class A drugs in Gwent.

We are also working with our partners on a national and local level to ensure that we have the capacity to tackle serious and organised crimes. I know that all the officers and staff at Gwent Police remain determined, focused and committed to improving services to the public and the challenge now is to build on the findings of HMIC."

The Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Jeff Farrar, said: "I'm delighted to see Gwent Police being graded 'Good' again by the police inspectorate for the second successive year. This is even more pleasing in light of the 'requires to improve' grading's the force was facing four years ago and even more remarkable when over a third of police forces in the country have been graded as 'requires to improve' in this inspection. This has not happened by itself and it's a testament to the professionalism and hard work of officer and staff. I am very proud of their efforts."

For further information and to access the full report visit the HMIC website www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk