HMICFRS report

Gwent Police is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour but must do better in its response to the public, according to a new report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.

The report praises Gwent Police for the way it tackles crime and anti-social behaviour in communities, and for the way it manages suspects and offenders.

However, it raises concerns about the force’s response to members of the public who call to report non-emergency incidents, and also states that the way police officers investigate crimes and protect vulnerable people must improve.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, said: “There is a lot to digest within this report. There are many positives here and it demonstrates that when it comes to some of the issues that are most important to people, such as preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, Gwent Police are doing well.

“However, there are clearly areas identified in this report where Gwent Police must make immediate improvements, including how the force responds to non-emergency contacts.

“We have already invested to improve these services, and have developed a brand-new state-of-the-art control centre at Gwent Police’s headquarters. While I understand the growing demand on services, and the huge amount of pressure this puts on officers and staff, clearly a lot more work is needed to address the areas where HMICFRS has said things must improve.”

“I have spoken with the Chief Constable on numerous occasions about performance in these areas and I expect improvements to be made quickly. I know that Chief Constable Pam Kelly is equally concerned by these findings and work to address the issues highlighted in the HMICFRS’s report is already well under way.

“I have made my expectations clear and will be expecting regular updates from the Chief Constable and her chief officer team on each of these issues going forward. My team and I will be supporting and scrutinising Gwent Police to make these improvements as a matter of urgency.”