More about this area

Gwent Police force area covers 600 square miles serving a population 587,700. The area is covered by the five local authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen.  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.

The force area includes Newport, which is the third largest urban centre in Wales. It has a mainline railway, football team, retail and leisure facilities, industrial port and a university.

The force mission is improving trust and confidence, and the force vision is to be an inclusive, caring, connected organisation providing outstanding service for the communities of Gwent. During 2024-25, the force dealt with 192,242 incidents and recorded 58,168 crimes (as of 07 April 2025). As at 31 March 2025, the force employs 1,571 police officers, 133 PCSOs and 845 police staff supplemented by 55 members of the special constabulary, 277 volunteers and 121 cadets. The force revenue budget for 2025/26 is £184m.In January 2025, the force began implementing a new operating model, which will be delivered over a 12–18-month period. The new model is based on three pillars of Neighbourhood, Response and Crime. Removing geographic barriers will put the community we serve at the heart of everything we do, working as one team to deliver on issues that matter to people.

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.