PCC's Latest Blog

I would like to start by thanking all the residents of Gwent who contributed to the consultation on my proposed police and crime priorities. After listening to your opinions on what matters to you locally, I can reveal that the five priorities for Gwent are: Crime Prevention, Supporting Victims, Community Cohesion, Tacking Anti-Social Behaviour and Effective Service Delivery.

I now have a legal duty to publish a police and crime plan which sets out these priorities. The plan, which will be in place by March 2017, will provide the direction for crime and policing services in Gwent for the next four years. The Chief Constable and other partners will be asked to deliver against the priorities in the plan and I will be measuring the Force's performance against them on your behalf.

As part of the government's objectives to cut public spending, central funding to the police service in Gwent has been reduced in real terms by nearly 40% since 2008 and Gwent has lost nearly 300 police officers as a result. I want to provide a quality and sustainable police service within our tight resources and I have therefore launched my latest 'Have Your Say' survey which asks you how much you are willing to pay to maintain your policing service. To complete the survey, please head to bitly.com/HYSPrecept17-18

In October I was pleased to launch a new Public Response Unit which aims 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. I am pleased to say that since its launch, the unit has resolved well over 100 reports of dissatisfaction. We also receive many requests for information so we are working closely with Gwent Police to ensure that we provide appropriate messages on matters which affect people most frequently.

Last month I revealed the 90 projects in Gwent which secured a slice of nearly £220,000 in cash seized from criminals from my Partnership Fund. I am delighted to announce that the next round of funding is open for applications (closes at 4pm on Friday, 27th January 2017). For more information, or to download an application form, please visit my website www.gwent.pcc.police.uk

After listening carefully to what residents in Caerphilly have told me, I was pleased to announce my decision this month to open a new permanent police station on Cardiff Road in the heart of the town. The station is set to open in the spring of 2017 and is part of my commitment to provide an accessible policing service in Gwent which adequately responds to local needs.

I would like to end 2016 by praising Gwent Police for the positive reports it has received from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). This is a real testament to the hard work our officers and staff put in every day and shows that Gwent Police is heading in the right direction. What has impressed me the most during the last year is the unwavering passion and impressive commitment our frontline officers out on the ground have for the difficult jobs that they do in often challenging circumstances. Their hard work hasn't gone unnoticed and I would like to thank each and every one of them.

Have a safe Christmas and a Happy New Year.