More about this area
The force says...
The force mission is to make communities safer by upholding the law fairly and firmly, prevent crime and antisocial behaviour, keep the peace, protect and reassure communities and investigate crime and bring offenders to justice.
The force revenue budget for 2022/23 is £156m with savings of £52.8m achieved since 2010.
Working across Gwent, the force aligns with five local authorities covering 1,554 km2 with a population of 587,700 (2021 census). Demographics include rural countryside areas, urban centres and the most easterly of the South Wales valleys. The population is diverse and multi-cultural, with pockets of wealth contrasting communities with high levels of deprivation.
Newport is the third largest urban centre in Wales. It has a mainline railway, football team, retail and leisure facilities, industrial port and a university. High volumes of traffic using the M4 and large regeneration projects bring benefits and complexities. It also hosts a new major conference centre, the impact of which is untested due to the pandemic.
During 2021-22, the force dealt with 170,191 incidents and recorded 53,967 crimes. The force employs 1,492 police officers, 175 PCSOs and 856 police staff supplemented by 78 members of the special constabulary, 101 Speedwatch volunteers, 25 police support volunteers and 160 cadets.
A new neighbourhood policing strategy was recently launched which focuses on preventing crime and antisocial behaviour. The ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ team play an integral part by providing a five-pronged approach to tackle acquisitive crime. The force has also used ‘Safer Streets’ funding to further enhance public safety.
The force has a strong approach to managing offenders and suspects and works closely with partners. It is trialling multi-agency tasking and coordination to tackle domestic abuse perpetrators and is also participating in Operation Soteria, a transformative approach to the investigation of rape and sexual offences.
Disclaimer: the above statement has been prepared by Gwent Police. The views and information in it are not necessarily those of HMICFRS.