HomeNational Priorities 2008/09
The National Community Safety Plan for 2008-11, sets out six strategic policing priorities for the service in England and Wales. These focus more closely than ever before on more serious crime, the threat from terrorism and extremism, boosting confidence in the criminal justice system as a whole and improving public satisfaction with and confidence in the police. The Force’s response to these is outlined below.
Strategic Policing Priority 1
Reduce crime in line with PSAs (23 and 25), including focusing on more serious violence (particularly involving the use of firearms and other weapons), serious acquisitive crime (particularly prolific and other priority offenders and drug misusing offenders), alcohol related crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour
The renewed national focus on more serious criminality will be addressed through the force’s Major Crime Team and collaborative arrangements in relation to Operation TARIAN. At a force level, the strong existing partnership arrangements around dangerous and violent offenders will be enhanced and steps will be taken to tackle the use of weapons, particularly blades. One of our divisions held a particularly successful knife amnesty during 2007/08 and this may be repeated. The force will continue to engage positively with the licensing trade to tackle alcohol related crime and disorder, the Behave or be Banned (BOBB) scheme being one particularly effective arrangement that is in place. The work of prolific and priority offending teams has achieved notable successes and has effectively addressed the small number of offenders that commit a disproportionately high level of crime. The work of these teams will continue in conjunction with partner agencies, focusing particularly on more serious offences.
Strategic Policing Priority 2
Increase public confidence in and satisfaction with the police through an emphasis on the quality of service provided to the public
Although levels of satisfaction and confidence in the force are relatively high, a number of areas of work are being progressed to improve upon this position. The Authority has given its approval for the engagement of two telephone researchers, who will not only undertake statutory user satisfaction surveys, but work in relation to local satisfaction with neighbourhood policing teams. This will assist local managers in identifying whether engagement at a local level has been effective in promoting trust and confidence and embedding the team within the community. At a more strategic level, the force has embarked upon a Professionalising Customer Services project to improve the way in which we deal with customers at all areas of contact, from front counters at our stations to the Force Communications Centre at headquarters. The outcomes of this review will feed into the recently established Citizen Focus Programme Board, chaired by the Assistant Chief Constable. This forum will be key to driving forward Quality of Service issues in force over the coming years and will have oversight of our delivery on the National Quality of Service Commitment.
Strategic Policing Priority 3
In line with PSA 24, work in partnership to deliver a more effective, transparent and responsive CJS for victims and the public
The force will undertake a range of actions in partnership with others to address this priority. In terms of streamlining the preparation of case files, although the force is not one of the six areas piloting the new process, liaison has been initiated with the Crown Prosecution Service and Courts to agree local arrangements. In relation to rape offences in particular, the force has developed a Rape Action Plan and will be implementing this to improve performance in this sensitive area. Levels of trust and confidence in the criminal justice system will be enhanced through the work of the Local Criminal Justice Board Confidence Sub-Group. Representatives from the CPS have been invited to this group to progress the LCJB Confidence Action Plan and close liaison work is ongoing with the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities in relation to local concerns. In relation to apparent race disproportionality within the criminal justice system, work is ongoing in relation to three joint inspection reports that looked at strengths and weaknesses in this area. Liaison has commenced with North Wales Police, whose system for data collection around ethnicity has been held up as good practise. In terms of recovering criminal assets, concerted work will continue to maximise those assets that can be seized and regular meetings with CPS will be initiated to progress this.
Strategic Policing Priority 4
Work jointly to ensure that adequate capability and capacity exists across England and Wales to deliver effective policing to tackle serious and organised crime and to provide other protective services
The protective services needs assessment undertaken recently by the force will be used locally to drive improvements in this area and feed into the regional picture. A local implementation plan to drive improvements will be put in place and any necessary resource bids will be developed as part of the force business planning process. Operation TARIAN, which draws together resources from the three forces in south Wales, continues to flourish and will be the key in tackling serious and organised criminality across the M4 corridor. From April 1st, the Welsh Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit (WECTU) was formally established, acting as a central point for the management of extremist and counter terrorist activities that are delivered locally. The All Wales Roads Policing Strategy will be delivered, with Dyfed-Powys Police taking the lead on the work stream in relation to denying criminals the use of our roads.
Strategic Policing Priority 5
In respect of the counter-terrorism and violent extremism in line with CONTEST and the counter terrorism PSA, work with and through local communities as appropriate to disrupt terrorists and their operations; protect key sites and people going about their daily lives; deter those who facilitate terrorism; stop people from becoming or supporting terrorists or violent extremists; and be prepared to respond to a terrorist attack and its consequences
Work to address this key national issue will be multi-faceted in line with the government’s CONTEST strategy. Joint working with partner agencies will be crucial in disrupting and detecting potential terrorist activity in the Force area. Neighbourhood policing teams have played and will continue to play a significant role in gathering and actioning community intelligence, developing the ‘richer picture’ around people living and working in the Force area. Special Branch staff at Headquarters will be engaging in work in consultation with Neighbourhood Policing Teams to develop trust and confidence in local communities. To prepare and continge for any potential terrorist or extremist attacks within the Force, a series of desk top exercises and planning events will take place to test capacity and resilience. Counter Terrorism Security Advisors will engage with and advise stakeholders at vulnerable sites and premises across the Force area to ensure that any required action is taken. Project Argus events will continue throughout the year and will focus on business continuity in the event of a potential attack on business premises. More specifically, there will be a strengthening of border security through the dedicated officers based at both Fishguard and Pembroke Dock Ports and the checking of vessels both on the Waterway and in the Harbours and small Ports within the Force, through the Ports Unit Marine capability. Most significantly, from 1st April the Welsh Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit (WECTU) was established, bringing together counter terrorism assets within the region to deliver a centrally managed, but locally delivered response to counter terrorism and domestic extremism matters.
Strategic Policing Priority 6
The tougher financial settlement for the CSR period requires both police authorities and forces to make the best use of resources, with a continuing commitment to achieving significant cashable improvements in efficiency and productivity. The Police Service should see resource management as a core responsibility of delivering sustainable improvement
The Force and Authority have worked closely with partners in Wales to address issues highlighted in the Home Office Efficiency and Productivity Strategy. As a consequence, a detailed plan has been put together to secure cashable efficiency savings of £9.1 million over the next 3 years (equivalent to 9.3% of the force budget for 2007/08). The pan Wales Workforce Modernisation and Efficiency Planning group, with membership from all four Welsh forces, has worked closely to identify areas in which all forces could identify and quantify gains. This work is set to continue in the coming years as closer collaboration generates productivity improvements, particularly in business support functions. Locally, the identification and monitoring of efficiency gains is driven through the Productivity and Efficiency Review group, with officer and member involvement from the Police Authority and engagement from Headquarters departments and divisions.