Oath Taken by New Gwent PCC

The newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, has been sworn into office today during an official ceremony.

To mark his election as the new PCC for Gwent, Mr Cuthbert, who is standing down as the Assembly Member for Caerphilly, officially commenced his duties as Commissioner after being sworn in during a ceremony held at Gwent Police's Headquarters in Cwmbran.

The former Welsh Government Minister swore an oath of office in order to set out publicly his commitment to tackling his new role with integrity and impartiality. He officially commenced his duties as PCC for Gwent following the swearing in ceremony which was witnessed by the local Magistrate. The Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Jeff Farrar, was also present at the ceremony as well as a number of other local dignitaries and leading community representatives.

Mr Cuthbert's term of office as Commissioner will last four years and he will be responsible for representing the people of Gwent and making sure the service provided by the police is efficient and effective. This is done by:

• holding the Chief Constable to account for the delivery of local policing;
• setting and updating a police and crime plan;
• setting the force budget and precept;
• regularly engaging with the public and communities;
• appointing, and where necessary dismissing, the Chief Constable.

Following his election last Sunday, Mr Cuthbert has highlighted that he aims to be a "visible" and "inclusive" PCC and has vowed to ensure that the principles of social justice and fairness become the cornerstone of policing practice in the region.

Speaking after the ceremony, Gwent PCC Jeff Cuthbert said: "I look forward to working constructively in partnership with the Chief Constable over the next four years and I would like to thank my predecessor, Ian Johnston, for the firm foundations he has laid. During my term of office, I want people to know and understand what this role is about and the benefits it can bring to policing and therefore the wellbeing of people in Gwent.

I believe passionately in the importance of partnership working. One of my responsibilities will be to allocate the police budget. Over the last five years, all police forces in England and Wales have seen a reduction in their budget from Central Government. It means that how you plan and use your physical resources has become that much harder. Even though policing is not devolved, the Welsh Government remains supportive of the principles of policing. That's why they have funded over 500 Police Community Support Officers throughout Wales, with 101 of them based here in Gwent. This is a valuable level of support and I want to ensure that it continues."

He added: "I will work in partnership with the Chief Constable and his senior team but I will also take seriously my responsibility to hold the Chief to account for policing in the region. I want to see excellent partnership working and I intend to be highly visible. I'm looking forward very much to the next four years and I want to extend my thanks to the voters of Gwent who have given me their support and have now put their trust in me. I will not disappoint them."