Gwent Police

Gwent Police (Welsh: Heddlu Gwent) is a territorial police force in Wales, responsible for policing the local authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen. Gwent Police currently employs 1,204 officers, 649 civilian staff and 217 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

Gwent Police
Heddlu Gwent
Crest of Gwent Police / Heddlu Gwent
MottoProtecting and Reassuring
Amddiffyn a Chysuro
Agency overview
Formed1967
Preceding agencies
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionGwent, Wales
Gwent Police area within Wales
Size1,554 km²
Population576,700 (2018)[1]
Primary governing bodyGwent Police and Crime Commissioner
Secondary governing bodyIndependent Police Complaints Commission
Independent Office for Police Conduct
Home Office
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersCroesyceiliog
Sworn members1,281 (2018)[2]
Including 138 Special Constables
PCSOs217
Police and Crime Commissioner responsible
Agency executive
  • Pam Kelly, Chief Constable
Divisions
Facilities
Stations17
Vehicles174[3]
Website
www.gwent.police.uk

The force was formed in 1967 by the amalgamation of Monmouthshire Constabulary and Newport Borough Police. In 1974 its area was realigned to cover the new administrative county of Gwent, and in 1996, it was expanded again to cover the former Rhymney Valley district area that had become part of the Caerphilly county borough.

Organisation

Governance

Like most police forces in England and Wales, Gwent Police is overseen by an elected Police and Crime Commissioner, which replaced the former police authority of councillors, magistrates and lay members in 2012. The PCC is currently Jeff Cuthbert.

Structure

Gwent Police has two local policing areas:

These divisions are run practically independently, controlled by a Chief Superintendent. Both contain three departments, each under a Chief Inspector; CID, Neighbourhood Operations (providing community officers and local response) and Neighbourhood Support (including traffic and public order teams, among other things). However, there are still some departments that cover the whole force, including the dog section, rural crime team, and training functions.[4]

The force has its headquarters at Croesyceiliog in Cwmbran.

Collaborations

Gwent Police has participated in collaborations with other agencies to improve service and reduce costs at a time of government cuts. Examples of collaborations include:

  • Joint Response Unit (with Welsh Ambulance Service) – where a special constable works alongside a paramedic or technician. Funded by the Welsh Ambulance Service and staffed by Gwent Police Special Constabulary.
  • Joint Firearms Unit (with Dyfed-Powys Police and South Wales Police)
  • Tarian (with Dyfed-Powys Police and South Wales Police) – regional organised crime unit.[5]
  • Wales Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit (with Dyfed-Powys Police, South Wales Police and North Wales Police)
  • South Wales Joint Scientific Investigation Unit (with South Wales Police) – processes all forensic submissions
  • Air Support is provided by the National Police Air Service – mainly using NPAS47, a Eurocopter EC-135 Police Helicopter based at MOD St Athan, supported by NPAS43 at Bristol Filton Airport.
  • Missing Children's Unit (with several local councils)
  • Youth Offending Service (with several local councils, healthcare bodies, CAHMS, and Probation Service).
  • Joint Legal Services (with South Wales Police)
  • Joint Printing Unit (with South Wales Police)
  • Record Management (with South Wales Police)

Police stations and offices

Gwent Police operate both fully-fledged police stations, and several offices and shops that serve as points of contact with the public. For example, the police station at Abertillery closed due to budget cuts, but the police still maintain a presence at the local fire station. In Abergavenny, neighbourhood officers are available at a "one stop shop" shared with Monmouthshire County Council. On the other hand, several buildings are owned for operational or administrative purposes that are not open to the public, including the force headquarters in Cwmbran. Newport Central police station is the only front desk service that is available 24 hours a day, a custody suite is based at the station. Several front offices and stations have been partially or fully closed following a review of the function and role of front desks in police stations.[6]

Chief Constables
  • 1967–1981 : William Farley [7]
  • 1981–1994 : John Over[8]
  • 1994-1996 : Sir Anthony Burden
  • 1997–1999 : Francis J. Wilkinson
  • 1999–? : Keith Turner
  • 2004–2008 : Michael Tonge
  • 2008–2010 : Mick Giannasi [9]
  • 2011–2013 : Carmel Napier
  • 2013–2017 : Jeff Farrar [10]
  • 2017–June 2019 : Julian Williams [11]
  • June 2019–onwards : Pam Kelly [12][13]

Media engagement

In 2009 Gwent Police worked with film maker Peter Watkins-Hughes to create the short film Cow as part of a campaign to stop texting while driving.[14] The film earned honours in the Advertising Age's weekly Creativity Top 5 video and became an overnight worldwide internet hit after being shown on the USA The Today Show television show.[15][16]

In 2019, a mugshot of a wanted drug dealer that Gwent Police had posted to Facebook received than 89,000 comments, many of which mocked his hairstyle. Gwent Police warned that abusive comments could be against the law.[17]

gollark: I think languages are only partially ordered at best.
gollark: I think you misunderstood the paradox.
gollark: Oh, you mean haskell for bare-metal... probably don't do that.
gollark: Esobot is down again? REALLY?
gollark: ???

See also
  • List of police forces in the United Kingdom
  • Policing in the United Kingdom

References
  1. https://www.gwent.police.uk/en/about-us/your-right-to-information/force-performance/
  2. "Tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales, 31 March 2018". HM Government. Office for National Statistics. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  3. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/467758/response/1131922/attach/html/4/FOI%202018%2020677.XLS.xls.html
  4. "Our Structure". www.gwent.police.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  5. "About". TARIAN ROC. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  6. "Find Your Local Police Station". www.gwent.police.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  7. "Ex-police chief dies in blaze". BBC News. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  8. Kirby, Terry (26 August 1993). "Police 'in peril' from Sheehy report". The Independent. London. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  9. "Gwent Police chief constable Mick Giannasi to retire". BBC News. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  10. "Gwent Police Chief Constable Jeff Farrar to retire". BBC News. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  11. "Chief Constable Julian Williams". Gwent Police. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  12. "New chief constable announced by PCC". Gwent Police. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  13. "Pam Kelly named Gwent Police chief constable". 12 August 2019.
  14. "Cow - the film that will stop you texting and driving". Archived from the original (web) on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  15. WalesOnline (25 August 2009). "Graphic film about dangers of texting is internet hit".
  16. "Creativity Top 5: 24 August 2009". Archived from the original (web) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  17. Quinn, Ben (12 August 2019). "Gwent police warn people who mock wanted drug dealer's receding hairline". The Guardian. London.
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