Gwent Police ‘outstanding at recording crime promptly and accurately’
Gwent Police has been rated ‘outstanding’ at recording data about crime, but there are areas in which the force needs to improve, said the police inspectorate.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found the force was ‘adequate’ in five areas and ‘required improvement’ in three others – investigating crime, protecting vulnerable people and leadership and force management.
However, it noted that the force’s senior leadership team has “changed substantially” over the past year, which Gwent’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) said she was confident would drive the necessary improvements.
Chief Constable Mark Hobrough said: “I am pleased that HMICFRS has recognised us as outstanding in promptly and accurately recording crime, particularly in cases involving sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. We have made significant improvements in how we respond to the public, including consistent rapid responses to 999 calls from our force contact centre.
“Amid the current scrutiny over officer behaviour, it is encouraging that inspectors have acknowledged our efforts to ensure high standards of conduct among our officers and staff, and that we have fostered an ethical working environment where our staff have the confidence to actively challenge discriminatory behaviour.
“We are making progress as a police service and have initiated several programmes in the last six months since this report to address the areas requiring improvement. We remain dedicated to improving our service to the communities, in particularly in protecting vulnerable people and ensuring justice for victims.
“We are committed in our mission to improving trust and confidence in our service and our focus is to ensure we are an inclusive, caring and connected organisation which is able to provide an outstanding service to all in our communities.”
HM Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer said while she was satisfied with some aspects of the performance of Gwent Police in keeping people safe, reducing crime and providing victims with an effective service, there were areas in which the force needs to improve.
“The force’s senior leadership team has changed substantially during the year of our inspection, with the appointment of a new chief constable and several chief officer positions being occupied on a temporary basis,” she said.
“The new leadership team is changing the force’s operating model. It has begun work on several programmes to help the force access operational information more easily and to improve how efficiently it operates.
“We found that the pace and timing with which leaders communicated this change has led to uncertainty among the workforce. I will be closely monitoring how the changes to the way the force operates result in improvements that help it better meet the public’s needs.”
Ms Skeer also noted that Gwent Police is investing in the development and diversity of its leaders.
“It equips its personnel to uphold high standards of behaviour and fair treatment,” she said. “Reassuringly, feedback from the workforce indicates that the force has created an ethical working environment where supervisors challenge discriminatory behaviour.”
Inspectors found the force was “outstanding at recording crime promptly and accurately, particularly crime involving sexual offences and anti-social behaviour”.
“Gwent Police also understands its daily demand well and makes sure that its operational priorities receive focus,” said Ms Skeer.
“The force has improved how quickly it answers 999 calls. But it still needs to improve how quickly it attends calls for service, and how it manages risk in relation to incidents it can’t attend promptly.
“The force is improving the service it provides to victims of rape and other serious crime. But overall, it brings too few offenders to justice and too many of its investigations lack effective supervision.
“The force has revised governance structures for protecting vulnerable people, but this hasn’t yet translated into effective safeguarding arrangements. We found that some teams have too few skilled staff to keep pace with demand, resulting in delays and a lack of quality assurance. The force also takes too few opportunities to use disclosure schemes and preventative orders to protect people at risk of serious harm and needs to improve how it uses bail to protect victims and prevent re-offending.
“I will continue to monitor the force’s progress in addressing these concerns over the coming months.”
The latest inspection covers the period 2023-2025, and Gwent PCC Jane Mudd said: “Although it is not a direct comparison to 2021/22 report, it is positive to see that HMICFRS recognises many of the improvements made since then.
“As the report points out, Gwent Police’s senior leadership team has changed substantially over the last year. I appointed Chief Constable Hobrough in December 2024 and he has implemented a new operating model for Gwent Police which I am confident is driving improvements across the force.
“I am seeing positive progress made against the priorities in my Police, Crime and Justice Plan, and a greater emphasis on putting victims first, which I know is incredibly important for our residents.
“To ensure continued improvement I have increased and strengthened the scrutiny work that my office and I undertake. This is driving greater accountability, improved transparency and provides me with continued assurance and confidence that Gwent Police is improving its response to the issues that matter most to our residents.”