Annual report 2024/25
Foreword
Highlights of the year
Performance and outcomes
Commissioned services and grants
The strategic policing requirement
Looking ahead
Foreword
This is my first statutory annual report since my election as Gwent’s first female Police and Crime Commissioner in May 2024. I remain incredibly proud of the trust and confidence residents placed in me when they voted for their commissioner.
I can honestly say that this has been one of the most challenging, but also most rewarding, years of my career. It has been a joy seeing firsthand how different Gwent Police teams operate, starting to build relationships with partner agencies and the services I fund, and, importantly, meeting the different communities we serve in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen. To be as visible as possible, I have attended community groups, local events, spoken to residents and visited many of our schools to talk to children and young people. I would like to thank everyone for making me so welcome.
In the last year alone, I have had to make three of the biggest decisions that a Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for: appoint a new Chief Constable, publish my new Police, Crime and Justice Plan, and set Gwent Police’s budget.
I appointed Mark Hobrough as Chief Constable of Gwent Police in December 2024. The appointment followed months of public engagement and a series of interviews with panels made up of partner organisations, community members, and young people. Six months on, I remain convinced of his passion and commitment for making Gwent a safer place for our residents.
At the start of this year, I formally set Gwent Police’s budget for 2025/26 for the first time. A significant part of this comes through council tax precept and it is my job to set the level paid by residents. This was not an easy decision. However, I believe the final budget is a fair balance between affordability and the money needed to create a safer Gwent and deliver on the commitments I have made in my Police, Crime and Justice Plan.
Regarding my new Plan, this was launched in March and has five priorities which are: preventing crime and antisocial behaviour; making our communities safer; protecting the vulnerable; putting victims first; and reducing reoffending. I decided on these priorities following months of public engagement, discussions with partner agencies and focus groups with residents. They also reflect the commitments I made when campaigning for election and I am confident that they will deliver a safer Gwent for us all. Underpinning these priorities is my unwavering commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
In other highlights, in our joint commitment to increase visible policing, Chief Constable Hobrough and I formally opened the new Gwent Police facility in Abergavenny. The facility enables Gwent Police to increase its visibility in Abergavenny and the surrounding area and provide local teams with a base that is fit for the future.
We also worked together to host a powerful exhibition of artworks at Gwent Police headquarters to mark White Ribbon Day. ‘Words Matter’ includes more than 20 works from artists across the UK and explores themes of violence, misogyny and victim blaming. As part of my support for White Ribbon Day I also brought key partners together for a roundtable event to discuss how we can work together better to support women and girls.
I am proud of what we have achieved in a short space of time. Looking forward to next year, I will continue to work hard every day on behalf of the people of Gwent; to deliver on the Police, Crime and Justice Plan; and keep making a difference for our communities to make Gwent a safer place for us all.
Thank you
Jane Mudd
Highlights of the year
April to June 2024
The start of this year saw the well-earned retirement of the previous Commissioner, Jeff Cuthbert. Following the election, I was sworn in as the new Police and Crime Commissioner in May 2024, becoming Gwent’s first female PCC. I also appointed Eleri Thomas to continue as Deputy Commissioner.
Following a joint tender exercise with South Wales OPCC and HM Prison and Probation Service, the new women’s and young people diversionary service was launched on 1st April. The Nelson Trust and other delivery partners aim to support women and young adults in the justice system.
£1m in funding went to Gwent Police and partners to undertake Operation Lumley, increasing visible patrols in hotspot areas of high crime and antisocial behaviour.
Your Voice, Your Choice: My £65,000 contribution to the High Sherriff’s Fund resulted in 8 grants being awarded to grassroots youth-focused community groups.
As ‘lead convener’ of partners under the Serious Violence Duty, my office started work with community safety partners to fund £160,000 worth of interventions to prevent and reduce serious violence.
Elder Abuse Awareness: My office organised a week-long roadshow of 7 events with partners, speaking to the public, businesses and other organisations, and distributing 130 info packs to help raise awareness.
Child-Centred Policing: My office engaged with young people from Cwmbran and care-experienced children to understand their views on policing. They also held Safe Spaces Workshops, reaching over 600 pupils in 10 schools in Blaenau-Gwent and Newport.
Community Cohesion: My office and I supported a series of events celebrating diversity, including Ramadan, Roma culture, and Stephen Lawrence Day.
Summer Engagement: Over 3,200 people were engaged with at six events at the start of the summer, helping to inform my new priorities.
New Police Base: Building work was completed in Abergavenny, with the new location designed with police visibility and also sustainability in mind.
A new professional standards scrutiny meeting started, chaired by my Chief Executive, looking at complaints, conduct and vetting.
July to September 2024
Significant progress was made on development of the new Police, Crime and Justice Plan, with online and face-to-face surveys underway, partnership surveys of community safety and criminal justice partners, and the commencement of targeted focus groups.
The summer engagement campaign was completed, with a total of 28 events attended, and over 9,000 people engaged on the police and crime plan, local issues and crime prevention messaging. My team also visited 50+ forums in Blaenavon and Abergavenny, a veterans’ group in Monmouthshire and memory group in Cwmbran to do some bespoke engagement with older people on the development of my Police, Crime and Justice Plan.
In relation to child centred policing, my team continued youth engagement through events with Positive Futures and Senghenydd Youth Drop-In Centre and attended a range of Fresher’s Fairs for learners starting back at college. They also held a follow-up Youth Question Time session on vaping concerns held in July.
I visited a range of community projects and services funded by my office, including Bryn Farm Community House, Newport Yemeni Community Association; the Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service (GDAS), seeing firsthand how the annual investment of over £800k is used; and the Caerphilly and Blaenau-Gwent Youth Offending Service, to better understand their work and how my funding contribution is used to help young offenders.
The LEAD initiative in relation to responsible dog ownership was expanded across Gwent, and I met the families of victims who tragically died from dog attacks and unveiled a commemorative plaque in Caerphilly town centre.
September saw the retirement of Chief Constable Pam Kelly from Gwent Police, who I thanked for her years of dedicated public service. This formally started the process to identify her successor.
I visited local victim support services across Gwent and took part in a national roundtable event with the Victim’s Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, on how commissioners can monitor compliance with the Victims’ Code.
I hosted a celebratory event for my volunteers: Independent Custody Visitors and Animal Welfare Visitors, where I thanked them for their role in supporting me with police accountability and community trust and confidence in policing.
I chaired the Local Criminal Justice Board for the first time, which is a strategic meeting that brings together key leads from police and justice agencies to improve the justice system in Gwent.
October to December 2024
My new Police, Crime and Justice Plan was now starting to be drafted and consulted on.
I addressed the ASB Practitioner’s national conference, emphasising the importance of early intervention and steering children and young people from ASB. I also supported the UK Government’s tougher stance on shoplifting and retail crime; and engaged locally with shopworkers on what more can be done.
Local funding arrangements under the Serious Violence Duty were finalised, with £160k funding allocated to various local community safety projects, including: a VR education programme, Night Ambassadors and 1-1 interventions for children in schools.
The Cautioning and Relationship Abuse programme (CARA) started in earnest following national agreement, supported through my funding and office. CARA allows low-level domestic abuse offenders to be diverted from court to intervention programmes.
In partnership with the Chief Constable and organised by my office, I hosted an impactful art exhibition of more than 20 works of art on violence against women and girls to mark White Ribbon Day. The exhibit was seen by hundreds of officers, staff and partners, and was the venue for a partnership roundtable event chaired by me.
I participated in a national conference and support for Black History 365. The office continued focus and public engagement during hate crime awareness week, with Windrush celebrations in Newport and Cwmbran. Other community engagement events were held around Halloween alongside ongoing public walkabouts. My office also promoted the Live Fear Free domestic abuse helpline awareness campaign.
Scrutiny Panels by my office reviewed use of force, stop and search, and out-of-court resolutions (OOCRs). Feedback from the OOCR Scrutiny Panel was pivotal for helping to change Gwent Police’s policy of issuing these for drug possession offences.
The Gwent Public Service Board agreed to establish a new Strategic Safer Communities Board to be chaired by me, aiming to provide strategic oversight and support to other partnerships across Gwent, and solve the strategic issues they cannot solve locally.
I spoke to policing leaders, politicians and experts at the annual Policing Partnership Summit in London on Gwent Police’s cultural reform efforts to improve trust and confidence.
Following a lengthy process, I selected Mark Hobrough as the new Chief Constable, which was ratified at the Police and Crime Panel in December.
January to March 2025
In January, I formally set the 2025/26 budget for Gwent Police, the OPCC and services I fund at £213.2m, acting on information received from the Chief Constable, the public, partner agencies, UK and Welsh Governments, and Gwent Police and Crime Panel. This funding includes an extra £1m to invest in services to prevent crime, support victims, reduce offending and build resilient communities.
The new Police, Crime and Justice Plan was eventually finalised and launched on 28th March at a launch event in Caerphilly Council offices in Ystrad Mynach.
I engaged in Home Office workshops on Police Landscape Reform, part of the UK Government Safer Streets Mission, to ensure Welsh perspectives are included in future policing governance.
I formally joined the substance misuse Area Planning Board, and my team contributed to an APB strategic planning event to help shape future partnership priorities for tackling alcohol and substance misuse.
My team and I carried out a lot of engagement this quarter, including joining Newport Female Runners’ Network on an initiative with Gwent Police and Welsh Athletics to protect women runners. Participating in Welsh cultural celebrations and support for Black History Month. We attended events in Blackwood, Abergavenny, Usk, and during Holocaust Memorial Day, International Women’s Day, and Ramadan.
The team continued to deliver Safe Spaces sessions in schools and visited wellbeing events for Coleg Gwent students; and the Commissioner met Heddlu Bach and other primary school students for Q&A sessions.
I was out and about with many communities in Gwent, including Community Councils, Blackwood town centre Talking Shop, and business and residents in Monmouthshire. I also introduced monthly briefings with MPs, MSs, and council leaders.
I joined the Rural Crime Team to learn more about how they are tackling crime in rural areas. This included demonstration of new drones to cover large areas, and meeting with farmers and rural businesses to understand the issues concerning them.
Performance and outcomes
Although Gwent is overall a safe place to live, work and visit, Gwent Police recorded the highest level of incidents attended in the past five years, which continues to place a significant demand on the service. The number of recorded crimes also went over 60,000 for the first time, following a pattern of police-recorded crime increases that has been seen for some years. Some of this will be because of improved recording practices, but crime increases in general have been seen across the country, which is reflected in the Crime Survey of England and Wales, undertaken by the Office for National Statistics.
However, there are some positives in the detail. Gwent Police are responding to 999 and 101 calls quicker than almost all police forces. Some types of theft and antisocial behaviour are lower than last year. And the latest data suggest some acquisitive crimes, like shoplifting and vehicle crime, are now starting to come down from the record highs we have seen in the past 18 months. However, I cannot ignore the fact that crime is continuing to increase.
With the release of my new Police, Crime and Justice Plan, a significant focus for me will be to scrutinise Gwent Police, work with partners, focus on crime prevention and try to tackle these numbers and hopefully bring them down again.
Commissioned services and grants
As mentioned at the start, I have spent a lot of time this year getting to know the partners and partnerships that will contribute to delivering the aims of my Police, Crime and Justice Plan.
In particular, I have enjoyed visiting the services I fund and seeing the vital work they do for the communities of Gwent. Whether that is crime reduction, working with children in schools, or delivering specialist victim services, I continue to be inspired by the people I meet and their passion for what they do.
I will continue to monitor these services and ensure they deliver both valuable services for the people and communities benefitting from them but also offer value for money in these challenging economic times. Here are some highlights from this year.
Independent Domestic Violence Advisor service
Output - 1573 referrals to the IDVA service
Outcome - On average 78% of victims have made progress against 'better informed and empowered to act on information' and 73% made progress against 'increased feelings of safety'
Independent Sexual Violence Advisor Service
Output - 701 new referrals with 1,081 victims supported throughout the year
Outcome - 85% reported being better able to cope and recover and build resilience
PPDA/Tabw – Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse
Output - 30 new victims of police perpetrated domestic abuse have been supported by Tabw in Gwent
Outcome - Of the 30 victims, 23 have reported to the police. This high reporting rate may not have been achieved without the specialist support provided by Tabw.
FCP – Family Court Pathfinder
Output - 759 cases were referred to Family Court Pathfinder (Gwent 299 and South Wales 460), with 875 children linked to victims. 92% were successfully supported.
Outcome - Victims who experienced the court process prior to FCP have highlighted the service’s impact, noting they feel better prepared for court and more informed about their options.
Media Academy Cymru - Reach and Engagement “Positive Masculinity”
Output - Nearly 800 children and young people (CYP) engaged across Gwent in the past 12 months. Of which, 39 received one-to-one intervention and 741 group intervention.
Outcome - 100% of one-to-one participants reported a ‘Better understanding of positive masculinity’ and an Increased awareness of ‘misogyny and gender-based violence’. Group outcomes: 100% felt more confident in ‘identifying and addressing harmful behaviours.’
CARA – Cautioning And Relationship Abuse
Output - 23 have gone through the CARA process in Gwent.
Outcome - 90% reported that the workshops had “a lot of impact” on their awareness of domestic abuse and how they viewed their personal/ family relationships. 95% reported that it had “a lot of impact” on how they view their own behaviour and their motivation to change aspects of their behaviour / life.
Nighttime Economy Serious Violence Project – Caerphilly
Output - Accredited Personal Licence Training: Up to 30 individuals trained on licensing, safeguarding, and violence prevention.
Outcome - Strengthens community safety in nightlife settings. Reduces violence and threats, especially against women and girls. Enhances staff capability in handling critical issues like spiking and safeguarding.
Street Doctors – Violence Reduction Programme – Caerphilly
Output - 50 sessions delivered to 966 young people providing first aid training for violent emergencies (e.g., bleeding, unconsciousness).
Outcomes - Empowers youth with life-saving skills. Promotes a culture of responsibility and intervention. Cost-effective training (£10.35 per pupil). Reinforces anti-violence messaging and peer support.
Specialist Therapeutic Counselling for Children – Caerphilly
Output - 15 children from Caerphilly who are victims of sexual violence received specialist support. 190 counselling sessions completed.
Outcome - Provides trauma-informed care, emotional healing, and long-term psychological support for vulnerable children.
Play and Breakaway Sessions – Torfaen
Output - Sessions provided to 32 children under 24 years old identified as at risk of anti-social behaviour (ASB) or crime; and 10 trained staff on trauma informed approaches.
Outcomes - Improved behaviour and engagement. Reduced ASB escalation and violent behaviour. Stronger relationships between staff and young people. Positive feedback from schools and families. Reduction in school absenteeism.
Victim Support (Connect Gwent)
Output – 1,846 referrals to the service
Outcome - 88% of service users supported stated they ‘felt safer’, were ‘better able to cope with aspects of everyday life’ and had ‘improved health and wellbeing’
Crimestoppers (Fearless Programme)
Output – 10,864 young people targeted through intervention sessions with a focus on the risks of serious organised crime, county lines, knife crime and serious violence. 894 professionals benefited from Fearless training / workshops
Outcomes - Post-session surveys showed 100% of participants gained a clearer understanding of knife crime laws, with 90% stating they were less likely to carry a knife.
Positive Futures Sports-based diversion service
Output – 6431 attended scheduled community / diversionary sessions. 1040 attended reactive sessions. 1431 attended targeted group sessions - e.g Asylum Seekers / Refugees / children looked after. 130 provided 121 mentoring 120 attended an alternative education offer
Outcome - For those completing surveys: 70% Improvement in health and wellbeing, 58% Improvement in life skills, 45% Increased engagement in education, employment or training, and 67% Increased engagement in leisure, social and community activities
St Giles Trust
Outputs - 50 young people reached through 1:1 tertiary intervention. 452 remote contact sessions undertaken
Outcomes - There were 27 exits from the service (all planned with positive outcomes achieved)
Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service
Outputs - GDAS saw 3,170 people in custody suites, 801 in Court, and supported 923 individuals in the community. 4,978 support sessions have taken place in the year and 299 multi-agency meetings have been attended to support people in the justice system
Outcomes - 93% people leaving prison engaged with the service. 100% engaged through conditional cautions. Upon exiting the service (Q4 only), 69-78% of service users reported positive progress against substance/alcohol use reduction or cessation
One Wales (Women and Young People Diversion Service)
Outputs - During the first year, the ONE Wales Service received a total of 2,605 referrals across Gwent and South Wales. From Gwent, there were 370 referrals into the Women’s Service, and 134 into the Young People’s Service (18-25).
Outcomes - Due to the time frame of the contract, further outcomes are being developed.
The Strategic Policing Requirement
Through the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR), the Home Secretary sets out the national crime and terrorist threats and other civil emergencies that they perceive to be so serious as to require a cross-boundary policing response. This year, I took account of the SPR in the development of my new Police, Crime and Justice Plan, which reflects many of the priorities listed in the SPR, such as violence against women and girls and serious and organised crime.
In general, I gain assurance and oversight on the response to the identified threats by weaving the SPR priorities into my assurance and scrutiny processes, and from our wider partnerships. I am pleased that across Wales this year, the four PCCs established a new Collaboration Oversight Board, which will be a key mechanism for reviewing the relevant response to these cross-border threats. I look forward to working with colleagues to develop this board.
Overall, I am assured that the Chief Constable has the capabilities in place to tackle the SPR threats. I will continue to monitor these arrangements through my new assurance and accountability arrangements in the coming year.
Looking ahead to 2025/26
As I reflect on the past year through this annual report, I know that next year will continue to be a challenging one. Crime continues to increase and the rapid pace of change in society is one that policing will need to keep up with.
We continue to develop our relationship with the new UK Government with policy changes, new initiatives and our engagement with their Landscape Reform programme. Since the Home Secretary has announced the establishment of a new Police Performance Unit and National Centre for Policing, my team and I have been taking every opportunity to ensure that Gwent and Welsh perspectives and impacts are fully understood and reflected in the mission to rebuild public confidence. And funding remains a perennial challenge we have to face.
This is a time for investing in our partnerships, and we will need to collectively work together to tackle these challenges.
However, we have built solid foundations and have ambitious future plans. Next year we will start to see the impacts of my new Police, Crime and Justice Plan, the new Chief Constable’s Delivery Plan, new plans to strengthen our local partnerships, and new investments in policing through local and national initiatives.
For example, the UK Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee promises to deliver more police officers on our establishment, and we are actively working with the Home Office and local partners to increase police visibility and target crime and ASB hotspots in our communities. I have identified £1m annually in my budget to invest in more services that prevent crime, support victims, reduce offending and help build resilient communities. And through the Public Service Board, I have established a new Strategic Safer Communities Board that brings partners together to tackle the problems that can’t be solved locally.
I am also excited to be introducing reforms to how I monitor and scrutinise Gwent Police performance and hold the Chief Constable to account. These changes will be going live shortly and will be more visible and transparent than ever before.
Gwent remains a safe place to live, work and visit, and I am energised about what we can deliver next year.
Thank you.