Blog: This week

This week I held my Strategy and Performance Board, which is the key meeting where I hold the Chief Constable to account. We had an in-depth discussion about Gwent Police’s public communication strategy, with a useful analysis of the tone of media coverage featuring Gwent Police. Public confidence in policing across the country has been badly damaged in recent years but I was reassured to see that most of the media coverage in Gwent is either positive or factual reporting. We also discussed the new series of the BBC’s Rookie Cops which was filmed with Gwent Police officers and is being well received by the public. It reflects my opinion, formed through many conversations in our communities, that despite some of the negativity nationally, most residents really value their police force and the service it provides to our communities.  

On Wednesday I visited the Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly Youth Offending Service. This was a really insightful visit where I was given a good overview of the partnership working between Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly, got to meet the teams and gained a better understanding of the challenges they face in their authority areas. I was also able to speak with the substance misuse worker, who is funded through my office, about the part that alcohol and drugs play in youth offending. Most importantly I met with some of the young people that are currently within the Youth Offending Service, and it was really good to be able to speak to them about their own challenges, and their experiences of the services we are providing.

I was also honoured to be invited to send runners off at the annual Police Sport UK 10 mile race this week. This is an annual event which, this year, was hosted by Gwent Police in the beautiful setting of Cwmcarn Forest Drive and it was fantastic to see so many representatives from forces across the UK come together for the event. Police officers and staff regularly face situations that most of us will, thankfully, never have to experience, and this can inevitably take a toll on their mental health. Policing has a wide range of staff support networks in place and the sporting networks in particular are very important for supporting officers' physical and mental health. Well done to Gwent Police for organising such a great event, and congratulations to everyone who took part or supported as a volunteer.