HMICFRS inspection report into Gwent Police released

The latest inspection report into Gwent Police from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service has been released today. The report covers the period 2023 - 2025.

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd said: “Although it is not a direct comparison to 2021/22 report, it is positive to see that HMICFRS recognises many of the improvements made since then.

“As the report points out, Gwent Police’s senior leadership team has changed substantially over the last year. I appointed Chief Constable Hobrough in December 2024 and he has implemented a new operating model for Gwent Police which I am confident is driving improvements across the force.

“I am seeing positive progress made against the priorities in my Police, Crime and Justice Plan, and a greater emphasis on putting victims first, which I know is incredibly important for our residents.

“To ensure continued improvement I have increased and strengthened the scrutiny work that my office and I undertake. This is driving greater accountability, improved transparency and provides me with continued assurance and confidence that Gwent Police is improving its response to the issues that matter most to our residents.”

Addressing the specifics of the report, Chief Constable Hobrough said: “I am pleased that HMICFRS has recognised us as outstanding in promptly and accurately recording crime, particularly in cases involving sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. We have made significant improvements in how we respond to the public, including consistent rapid responses to 999 calls from our force contact centre.

“Amid the current scrutiny over officer behaviour, it is encouraging that inspectors have acknowledged our efforts to ensure high standards of conduct among our officers and staff, and that we have fostered an ethical working environment where our staff have the confidence to actively challenge discriminatory behaviour.

“We are making progress as a police service and have initiated several programmes in the last six months since this report to address the areas requiring improvement. We remain dedicated to improving our service to the communities, in particularly in protecting vulnerable people and ensuring justice for victims.

“We are committed in our mission to improving trust and confidence in our service and our focus is to ensure we are an inclusive, caring and connected organisation which is able to provide an outstanding service to all in our communities.”