By Tony O’Reilly-
South Wales Police must enhance its response to the public, as highlighted by the latest inspection from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
The PEEL report (2023-25) indicates that while many victims receive appropriate support and consultation, the force struggles to consistently identify crimes and vulnerable individuals connected to anti-social behaviour and has not progressed sufficiently in promptly answering emergency calls.
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Despite these issues, HMICFRS was satisfied with several aspects of the force’s performance. Former HM Inspector Wendy Williams, who oversaw the inspection until March 31, praised the force’s efforts in deterring crime and anti-social behaviour and fostering a safe workplace.
“We are pleased with some aspects of the performance of South Wales Police in deterring crime and anti-social behavior. The force is good at promoting a safe and welcoming workplace,” Williams stated.
In 2023, South Wales Police faced significant challenges, including managing large-scale disorder in Ely, Cardiff, and working to rebuild community trust.
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Williams noted the force’s effective leadership and use of data to address community concerns during these incidents.
The inspection also highlighted the force’s commitment to protecting women and girls in public spaces and its multi-agency approach to tackling anti-social behaviour. Utilizing the Home Office Safer Streets Fund, the force has invested in various crime prevention initiatives.
However, areas needing improvement were clearly identified. Williams emphasized the need for the force to ensure all officers and staff feel valued and involved in decision-making processes.
Although the force has implemented a transformation program to meet current and future contact management demands, it still struggles with promptly answering emergency calls and swiftly attending domestic abuse incidents, which undermines victim confidence.
The report also found that South Wales Police does not consistently identify crimes or vulnerable individuals linked to anti-social behaviour. This gap prevents the force from maximizing opportunities to protect vulnerable victims.
While most criminal investigations were well conducted and supervised, the force has not yet achieved satisfactory results in bringing offenders to justice, with inexperienced officers often handling serious and complex cases.
Progress has been made in responding to missing children and protecting them from exploitation, as well as providing timely Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme information. However, these improvements are recent and not uniformly implemented across the force.
The inspection raised concerns about the force’s prompt notification of partner agencies when children are suspected of being at risk from online offenders.
Nevertheless, South Wales Police has strong collaborative arrangements with other forces and partner agencies, providing local, regional, and national services.
Despite being funded at a higher-than-average rate compared to other forces in England and Wales, South Wales Police must ensure its learning and development capacity meets training needs and that it has adequate IT staff to support improvement programs.
Financial planning and understanding within the force were deemed sound.
Michelle Skeer now holds responsibility for South Wales Police following the publication of the PEEL report.
Yesterday, Thursday, a South Wales Paedophile officer, lost his appeal to squash his jailed conviction.
Lewis Edwards incited girls aged between 10 and 16 to send him degrading pictures and videos of themselves over Snapchat, which he secretly recorded before blackmailing many of his victims.
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