PCC Publishes his First Annual Report

15th November 2017

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, has published his first Annual Report which highlights the key achievements of his office during the last year.

The report covers the period from 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2017. It frames the key achievements of Mr Cuthbert’s office; the challenges they have faced and how the police and his office have delivered against the priorities outlined in the Police and Crime Plan for Gwent (2013-17). Please click here to read the full report.

The report contains some of the key accomplishments relating to Gwent PCC Jeff Cuthbert’s predecessor, Ian Johnston, during his last weeks in office. This includes activities relating to the establishment of the multi-agency victims’ hub, Connect Gwent; ensuring police officers remained in the heart of the communities they serve and Mr Johnston’s drive to securing the accurate recording of crime data.

Some of the key achievements and progress over the last year, as highlighted by Mr Cuthbert in the report, include:

  1. Developing his police and crime priorities for Gwent and launching his Police and Crime Plan which provides the strategic direction for how policing and crime services should be delivered in Gwent over the next four years;
  2. Maintaining police resources by securing funding to enable Gwent Police to recruit 180 new police officers during 2017/18 to bolster the front-line, tackle emerging crime types such as cybercrime and to protect the most vulnerable in society;
  3. Enhancing the commitment of Gwent Police and his office to mental health well-being by working with partners to jointly fund the employment of an Approved Mental Health Practitioner within Gwent Police’s Control Room and supporting a number of well-being initiatives at Gwent Police;
  4. Launching the Public Response Unit (PRU) to provide an improved level of service for the public by ensuring that any dissatisfaction with Gwent Police is dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible before it evolves into a more serious complaint;
  5. Agreeing the development of a new estate strategy and launching a new Joint Emergency Services Station in Abertillery with Fire and Ambulance services. He also announced his decision to open a new permanent police station in the centre of Caerphilly;
  6. Organising major conferences to tackle issues such as modern day slavery, hate crime and community cohesion, and developing a focus on tackling cybercrime through funding and awareness-raising activity;
  7. Attracting funding worth over £1.26 million into Gwent to deliver projects and schemes such as the Gwent Missing Children’s Hub, a diversionary scheme for women and funding for a domestic violence early intervention project;
  8. Supporting the commissioning of projects valued at over half a million pounds through the Safer Gwent group which included funding a Substance Misuse and Victim Worker post for the Youth Offending Service;
  9. Awarding over half a million pounds in cash predominantly seized from criminals to fund nearly 180 community projects and initiatives in Gwent; and
  10. Continuing to ensure the provision of victims services in Gwent and initiating a Gwent-focussed Child Centred Policing Model.

Reflecting on the last financial year, Gwent PCC Jeff Cuthbert, said: “I’m delighted to present my first Annual Report and I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Ian Johnston, who provided a firm foundation upon which I am able to build. My first year as Police and Crime Commissioner has been very fulfilling and you can see from this report that we have achieved a considerable amount during this time. I have been positively encouraged by the performance of Gwent Police since taking up office. There has been a real turnaround in Gwent Police’s performance in recent years and we are in a well-placed position to meet both current and future demands on the service. Gwent Police has gone from being assessed by inspectors as requiring improvement across the board to being one of the most improved police services in England and Wales.”

Looking forward and outlining some of the challenges ahead, Mr Cuthbert added: “I’m now looking forward to continuing to deliver against my Police and Crime Plan and ensuring the people of Gwent, especially the most vulnerable, have the best policing service possible. There is no doubt that balancing budgets is one of the single biggest challenges all services, policing or otherwise in England and Wales, still face. The current funding settlement for policing from the UK Government no longer ensures the resilience of Gwent Police to respond to further increases in demand. If this lack of investment continues, it will undoubtedly have an impact on the service we provide. I will continue to work with Gwent Police and my fellow Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales to ensure that police funding issues are addressed with the UK Government. I am now looking forward to the next year and my focus will be on improving policing and driving forward essential partnerships to keep our communities safe.”

You can now view the full version of the annual report on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s website. Please click here