Gwent Police Praised by Inspectors

Police and Crime Commissioner Ian Johnston has once again praised the efforts of Gwent Police after inspectors found the Force to be 'outstanding' in the way it engages with local communities and 'good' at keeping people safe and reducing crime.

The latest inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) specifically looked at how legitimate Gwent Police is at keeping people safe and reducing crime.

Throughout 2015, HMIC's PEEL Legitimacy inspection programme assessed the culture within Gwent Police, and how this is reflected in the force's public engagement, use of Taser and compliance with the Best Use of Stop and Search scheme. This is the first time HMIC has graded forces in England and Wales on their legitimacy.

The inspection looked at three areas:

• To what extend does practice and behaviour reinforce the wellbeing of staff and an ethical culture?
• How well does the force understand, engage with and treat fairly the people it serves to maintain and improve its legitimacy?
• To what extent are decisions taken on the use of stop and search and Taser fair and appropriate?

Gwent Police received an overall rating of 'good' but was found to be 'outstanding' in the way it engaged with local communities and the way it uses a range of methods to understand the needs of its local communities.

The report highlights how:

• Gwent Police is making clear efforts to develop and maintain an ethical working environment across the Force;
• The Force has a good understanding of the communities it serves and uses a range of methods to engage with people in its local neighbourhoods, seek their views and keep them informed;
• Gwent Police complies with the Best Use of Stop and Search scheme, and use of Taser is fair and appropriate;
• And that complaints and misconduct cases are dealt with in a fair and consistent manner.

Last year, the Commissioner praised the Force for receiving good ratings across the board from HMIC in both the 'Valuing the Police' report and the 'Vulnerability' report.

Congratulating the Force on its efforts, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Ian Johnston, said: "This is yet another good report for the Force in as many months and I would like to praise the Chief Constable and his team for the strong leadership they have shown. This would not have been possible however without the special efforts of all the officers, staff, partners and volunteers we work with in the community. This is even more remarkable when you consider the financial challenges the Force has faced and the position Gwent Police was in eighteen months ago when it was deemed as requiring improvement across the board by inspectors. To receive three good reports in a row in the last year is a remarkable turnaround to say the least and is a clear indication that the Force is heading in the right direction. This should reassure the public that their Force is in good health moving forward."

The Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Jeff Farrar, said: "It is extremely encouraging to see the progress the Force is making being graded Good in two categories and Outstanding in the way we understand, engage with and treat fairly the people we serve. This is a testament to the hard work our officers and staff put in every day and I am proud to be leading such a committed and professional team. There is always more to be done but this inspection report demonstrates how far we have travelled in the last two years."

For further information and to access the full report visit www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk