DYFED-Powys Police has today received further assurance that the wholesale change across the organisation introduced over the last 12 months is making a difference, with the HMICFRS grading the force as ‘Good’ in terms of how effective it is.
This is the second consecutive ‘Good’ grading rating from the HMICFRS following the 2017 legitimacy report.
“Dyfed-Powys Police is good at keeping people safe and reducing crime. The force has made improvements since 2016, and HMICFRS is confident that Dyfed-Powys Police will continue to make steady improvements to the services it provides to the public.”
(HMICFRS, PEEL: Police effectiveness 2017, pg.6)
On taking up the position of Chief Constable in December 2016, Mark Collins set out his three aims:
- delivering a quality service to victims of crime
- looking after those who are most vulnerable
- doing the basic things as best we can
Deputy Chief Constable Darren Davies, assigned to oversee our progress against previous HMIC actions, said: “The publication of today’s report acknowledges the hard work of all of our staff and the sustained improvements the force has made in delivering policing across Dyfed-Powys Police.
“We have made changes at the first point of contact, through to the support available to victims. We have introduced specialist teams to tackle the shifts in demand and crime types and, are kitting our officers out with the technology they need to keep them visible, available and accountable while active in our communities.
“We have listened to our staff and communities and implemented many of their ideas, which in turn have brought about these improvements.
“We’ve come a long way in the last twelve to eighteen months, but there is still a lot more we want to do. To come from a position of ‘Requiring Improvement’ across the board hasn’t been easy, but to receive this grading today signals that the hard work of many is delivering what we and our communities want and need.”
The efforts to improve haven’t been about only the HMIC grading though – Dyfed-Powys Police is proud of its place as a service of its communities and for its communities.
The force is committed to ensuring that local policing continues to be delivered, in what is a very unique policing area, given its geography and very rural population. But, the service must also be in a strong position to deliver on the rapidly changing nature of crime, with online and cyber enabled criminality, crime which has no boundaries, placing extraordinary demands on services nationally.
What’s changed in the last year?
- An emphasis on identifying vulnerability of individuals at the very first point of contact, ensuring the most appropriate resource and plan is put in place to support those who call on us for help.
- We now record crimes as they are described by the member of public at the time they report it, more often than not, this is via a call to our Force Contact Centre (FCC). This ensures an immediate focus on victims.
- The introduction of a crime desk (ICAT) means that some calls are investigated over the telephone, with a much quicker service given to victims of crime.
Historically, we allocated officers to attend all calls, because we thought that this was best for victims. But, we asked our communities about the kind of calls they would and wouldn’t expect to see an officer in person and were told that sometimes a telephone conversation or contact in another way is enough.
Introducing ICAT means that officer time within communities can be directed to attend to those who are most vulnerableor where crimes have the most detrimental impact.
- Police & Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn commissioned a new Victim & Witness Service, Goleudy. It’s a co-located service, meaning that the Goleudy staff have access to police systems – this reduces repetition and added stress for victims of crime when they are accessing support to help them during what can be a very difficult time.
- Introduction of specialist teams to tackle online and cyber enabled crime and, the adoption of working practices to prevent people from becoming victims (e.g. Banking Protocol).
- Continued to push ahead with the use of technology to improve the way we work, our presence in communities and the safety and accountability of our officers. Officers are fully equipped with mobile data terminals (MDTs), putting whole systems in the palm of their hands. They are kitted out with body worn video (BWV) to capture what happens around them and are more easily deployable with the introduction of telematics (IR3).
- We returned to a four-county policing model, better aligned to our local authority partners.
- Recruited officers/transferees from other forces in enough numbers to bring Dyfed-Powys Police up to establishment level (the numbers of officers we are to have according to our plan on paper).
Deputy Chief Constable Davies, continued: “As well as these big structural changes, we have also made many small changes – the cumulative effect of these being significant. What pleases me most about this is that these everyday changes are coming from our officers and staff. We are developing a culture whereby they feel able to have a say and make recommendations for improvement. These suggestions are based on their own experiences and vision and show a real commitment to improvement.”
Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn, said: “The service Dyfed-Powys Police gives to its communities is at the heart of everything I want to achieve as the Police and Crime Commissioner. The outcome of today’s HMIC report is testimony to the hard work of the force’s leadership team, and all its officers, staff and volunteers. I have my own sense of the impact our changes have made, and the achievement of a second Good outcome validates that.
“Now the force has a solid foundation of good performance it is important we don’t become complacent. My ambition is to maintain this momentum of change to achieve further improvements over the next two years.
“I will continue to work closely with the Chief Officer Team, holding them to account, to make sure the force is in a position to sustain this performance, and build upon it.”
What the report said:
- Force good at keeping people safe and reducing crime.
- The force is now taking a victim-focused approach to the allocation of cases for all crime.
- Dyfed-Powys Police has a clear definition of what vulnerability is, and its overall delivery plan includes an approach for protecting people who are vulnerable through their age, disability, or because they have been subjected to repeated offences, or are at high risk of abuse, for example.
- Dyfed-Powys Police provides a good initial investigative response.
- A suspect is more likely to be identified, and action is more likely to be taken, than in the majority of other police forces in England and Wales (57% likely DPP – 39% England & Wales avg.)
- In the 12 months to 30 June 2017, Dyfed-Powys Police detained 12 individuals under section 136 of the Mental Health Act. This is very low when compared to the rate in England and Wales per population and reflects positively on Dyfed-Powys Police.
The priorities and plans to deliver against the prioritise can be viewed on the Dyfed-Powys Police website, here.
