Two of the four Welsh police forces 'require improvement' in the way they prevent and investigate crime

A HMIC report grading every police force on its overall effectiveness in reducing crime and keeping people safe, has concluded two of the four Welsh forces 'require improvement'.

Basing its assessment on how well they prevent and investigate crime, manage offenders, protect vulnerable people and tackle serious organised crime, both Dyfed Powys and North Wales Police were told improvement was needed.

Meanwhile South Wales Police and Gwent Police were given a rating of 'Good'.

Overall, the report found most police forces are 'good' at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, but the quality of investigations remains disappointing.

HMIC says it found a similar pattern in last year's report, and that it is 'disappointed' not to see more progress

This is one of the most wide-ranging inspections HMIC has ever conducted. We've examined police effectiveness across the board - from how forces identify anti-social behaviour hotspots, to their mapping of organised crime groups, and from their management of the most dangerous offenders, to their work to protect children.

Zoë Billingham, HM Inspector of Constabulary
Dyfed-Powys and North Wales Police are two of 18 forces requiring imporvement Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

North Wales Police says the report highlights the achievement of the force in a number of areas at a time when it has been under 'considerable pressure to reduce spending.'

However it says the report, which states North Wales Police requires improvement in keeping people safe and reducing crime, contradicts itself.

The report has in fact confirmed North Wales Police is good at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour and keeping people safe which are priorities in my Police and Crime Plan and which the report states the force understand and carry out well. Among the findings was that North Wales Police reduced crime by 2.9 per cent which is more than any other force in Wales - and the reduction was achieved at a time when crime in England and Wales as a whole went up by 4.5 per cent.

Winston Roddick CB QC, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner

Meanwhile Dyfed-Powys Police say it too welcomes the report which praises its approach to tackling serious and organised crime, and that while it is a small service relative to the area it polices, it is always thinking innovatively about how it allocates resources and meets demand.

The areas served by Dyfed Powys Police are the safest in England and Wales, but when a crime does occur I am very proud to be able to say that we are one of only a few Forces nationally who continue to send an officer to the scene. We are a small service relative to the area we police and in these financially challenging times, we are always thinking innovatively about how we allocate our resources to meet demand.

Deputy Chief Constable Liane James, Dyfed-Powys

Outstanding

  • Durham Constabulary

Good

  • Cheshire

  • Hertfordshire

  • Nottinghamshire

  • City of London

  • Kent

  • South Wales

  • Derbyshire

  • Lancashire Suffolk

  • Devon and Cornwall

  • Leicestershire Sussex

  • Dorset

  • Merseyside

  • Thames Valley

  • Greater Manchester

  • Norfolk West Midlands

  • Gwent

  • North Yorkshire

  • West Yorkshire

  • Hampshire

  • Northumbria

  • Wiltshire

Requires Improvement

  • Avon and Somerset

  • Essex

  • Northamptonshire

  • Bedfordshire

  • Gloucestershire

  • South Yorkshire

  • Cambridgeshire

  • Humberside

  • Staffordshire

  • Cleveland

  • Lincolnshire

  • Surrey

  • Cumbria

  • Metropolitan

  • Warwickshire

  • Dyfed-Powys

  • North Wales

  • West Mercia