Visibility and Reassurance

Whilst aiming to ensure that our services are accessible to all, the Force and Authority are always looking to be innovative and ensure that our officers are more visible and provide a greater reassuring presence in local communities. Clearly, neighbourhood policing is at the core of this, but there are a number of key initiatives being pursued to enhance visibility as demanded by the public via consultation.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)

Currently the Force has 75 Police Community Support Officers across our four BCUs, all but one of whom are centrally funded. Plans are in place for nine additional PCSOs to be appointed during the year that are jointly funded by partner agencies

Custody Detention Officers

The Force retains the 15 additional Custody Detention Officers across the Force initially funded as a one-year Home Office grant. However, from next year on, a programme will be put in place to increase numbers by a further 17 by 2011/12. The first three will be employed during 2008/09 in Pembrokeshire. These key staff members will release officer time back to front line policing and ensure the force complies with Safer Detention guidelines

Mobile Police Offices

In support of Neighbourhood Policing, four new mobile police offices (two for Carmarthenshire and two for Powys) have been bought, supplementing the two already in place in Ceredigion. These vehicles, supplemented by an additional 14 vehicles specifically allocated to neighbourhood policing teams, are designed to ensure that local officers can reach out to our most remote communities and provide a presence where a permanent station or office cannot be justified

Special Constables and Volunteers

Through continued proactive work by the Human Resources department, the Force continues to secure the services of large numbers of Special Constables and volunteers. Where possible, local managers are aligning Special Constables with local neighbourhood policing teams. Areview of our Special Constable establishment is currently ongoing to look at the real number of ‘active’ specials available for duty

Community Bases

In support of neighbourhood policing, a growing number of Community Bases have been established, the most recent being at Capel Hendre in Carmarthenshire. These premises are at locations not owned by the force and provide a location for local people to engage with their neighbourhood officers

Mobile Data

In September 2008, mobile data is scheduled to go live in the force. A bid has been submitted for 850 Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) for our officers as well as a number of units to be placed in our vehicles. This is part of a wider national programme to enhance officer visibility and ensure that more time is spent out of station

Customer Service Unit

The Powys Customer Service Unit, which has operated on a pilot basis for some time now, has recently been evaluated. Low level crimes and incidents are dealt with directly on the telephone by experienced officers, calls being directed to them from the Communications Centre at Headquarters. The scheme appears to have been successful and so a business case is being developed to assess whether it is feasible to roll the concept out to our other three divisions.