Dyfed-Powys PEEL 2017

This question was not inspected in 2017. The grade and findings from last year’s inspection still stand.

Dyfed-Powys Police is good at investigating crimes and reducing re-offending. The force arrives promptly to most incidents and then identifies and secures evidence effectively. It conducts thorough telephone investigations and investigates cases of fraud well.

Specialist investigators deal with most high-risk and complex cases. The force has enough investigative capacity and capability to cope with the demand for its services.

Positively, the force:

• makes a good initial response in investigations, usually within its own target time of 20 minutes;
• focuses on victims when allocating investigations to officers with the right skills and experience;
• plans, by mid-2018, to train all officers to the required standards for complex investigations; and
• keeps victims well informed throughout its investigations.

However, although the force is raising standards in its investigations, it still needs to improve handover of information between teams. It also needs to improve the consistency of how its managers supervise investigations.

The force generally works well with partner organisations to manage offenders. It uses various approaches well to reduce re-offending. Nevertheless, the force’s monitoring of those offenders it has not yet detained could be better.

Dyfed-Powys Police requires improvement at protecting from harm those people who are vulnerable, and supporting victims. The force has clearly defined what vulnerability is, and made protecting vulnerable people a priority.

Positively, the force:

• ensures that officers and staff clearly understand how best to deal with and support vulnerable people;
• is quick to identify and respond to vulnerable people when they contact the police; and
• takes necessary immediate safeguarding actions.

The force is good at assessing mental health risks. Most officers understand the force’s approach to managing people with a mental illness. It has reduced detentions made under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and is recruiting more people to understaffed specialist units.

The force is mostly effective at managing sex offenders through multi-agency public protection arrangements. More officers and staff now oversee the management of violent and sex offenders. The force has well-developed working relationships with partner organisations to safeguard vulnerable people. Multi-agency risk assessment conferences are also effective, and the higher than average volume of cases referred to this service is decreasing.

However, the force should:

• improve its supervision and completion of risk assessments;
• complete investigations consistently well, in a timely manner, and improve the quality of handover information;
• supervise investigations more regularly and actively; and
• understand better why it makes less use of its available legal powers, so that it makes the most appropriate decisions to protect vulnerable people.

This question was not inspected in 2017. The grade and findings from last year’s inspection still stand.

National threats often require forces to work together, across force boundaries. These threats include terrorism, large-scale disorder and civil emergencies. We examined the capabilities in place to respond to these threats, in particular a firearms attack.

Most positively, the force:

• works with external organisations to build its capabilities to respond to national threats;
• tests its skills in training exercises; and
• has developed a good understanding of the threat to the public from an armed attack.