Dyfed-Powys Police has welcomed the findings of its latest inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which both recognised strong performance across four areas of policing and identified areas where further improvements can be made.
The independent Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) inspection assessed the force across nine areas of policing.
The force received:
- Good in four areas
- Adequate in four areas
- Requires improvement in one area
- No areas were assessed as inadequate
The assessment found Dyfed-Powys Police has progressed in five key areas of performance previously assessed as ‘requiring improvement’ or ‘adequate’ by the independent inspectorate, during their last inspection (in 2023-2025).
Chief Constable Ifan Charles said: “We welcome the findings of this independent inspection and the opportunity it provides to understand what we are doing well and where we need to continue to improve.
“I am particularly pleased our work has been assessed as good in four important areas of policing.
“This reflects the commitment and professionalism of officers, staff, volunteers and partners who work every day to provide a high-quality service to the communities we serve.
“In particular, the assessment of our work to prevent and deter crime and anti-social behaviour, and to respond to the public, reflects the dedication of officers and staff to keeping people safe and providing a service when people need us most.
“This is an area that matters greatly to the public, and was an area judged to require improvement in the previous inspection – so this progress is something I am particularly proud of.
“I am also pleased the inspection recognises Dyfed-Powys Police’s commitment to using policing powers fairly, appropriately and with justification. Maintaining the confidence of the public in the way we use our powers is fundamental to policing by consent.”
This latest inspection recognised the significant progress made by the force in addressing the areas for improvement identified during the previous 2023-25 PEEL inspection and consolidated progress made since the force’s previous PEEL assessment (2023-2025), with improvements demonstrated in the following five areas:
- Attracting, developing and retaining the workforce and creating a diverse and inclusive workplace; 2023-25 grade – Requires Improvement, 2025-27 grade – Good.
- Using powers fairly, appropriately and with justification; 2023-25 grade – Adequate, 2025-27 grade – Good.
- Preventing and deterring crime and antisocial behaviour and reducing vulnerability; 2023-25 grade – Adequate, 2025-27 grade – Good.
- Responding to the public; 2023-25 grade – Adequate, 2025-27 grade – Good.
- Safeguarding children and adults at risk of harm; 2023-25 grade – Requires Improvement, 2025-27 grade – Adequate.
Chief Constable Charles continued: “The report also identifies areas where we need to do more – and I won’t shy away from that.
“I accept those findings, particularly in relation to investigating crime, and the force is already focussed on the improvements needed.
“Work is underway to strengthen our approach, improve consistency and ensure investigations are progressed effectively and to the standard our communities deserve.
“This includes strengthening supervisory oversight of investigations, enhancing our existing quality assurance and audit processes, plus further investment in the development and accreditation of investigators.
“These actions will help us to further improve standards, consistency and outcomes for victims and our communities.”
26 areas identified for improvement (AFIs) in the previous PEEL inspection (2023-2025) have now been discharged by HMICFRS. This means the force has provided enough evidence to satisfy the inspectors the force has sustained improvements.
Four remaining areas for improvement are pending review by HMICFRS as part of the ongoing PEEL 2025-27 Inspection.
Examples:
- One example of the progress made is where concerns had been highlighted and areas for improvement allocated around the abandonment of non-emergency calls and reviewing and understanding of risk and demand, within the force control room and the response to incidents. Both these AFIs have been signed off and closed by HMICFRS following a significant programme of change, including a new contact telephony and radio system, increased resourcing and a new operating model to include omnicompetence within the Force Communication Centre (FCC). This has improved service delivery, with the force now consistently exceeding key performance indicators (KPI) for call abandonment and answering times (see note to editors) and improved focus on call volumes and ownership of incidents in lower response grades. Read more here on these improvements
- Also, in response to an AFI concerning protecting vulnerable people in the 2023 inspection, we have made significant improvements to the way we protect vulnerable people. We have strengthened our checks and reviews on domestic incidents, provided more training for officers and staff who support vulnerable people, and improved our overall quality assurance processes. These changes mean we are better able to identify risks, respond appropriately and provide effective support to vulnerable people. As seen in our effective multi-agency partnership work and the development of our Stalking Intervention Programme (SIP) in 2025 which enhances victim safety by focusing on the risk posed by the perpetrator. This saw a 450% increase in the number of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) obtained since its creation, enhancing the protection for vulnerable victims.
Mr Charles continued: “Although we have a lot to celebrate, we will not be complacent about the areas assessed as good. We will continue to build on that performance – as we have done over the past few years while making sure the improvements identified by HMICFRS are delivered and sustained.
“The findings of this inspection sit alongside the progress we are making through our Strategic Delivery Plan. That plan has given us a clear focus on the outcomes we want to achieve for our communities, and the progress we have made against those priorities provides important evidence of what we can achieve when we work collectively. This inspection reinforces the importance of continuing that focus.
“I would like to thank everyone across the organisation for their continued hard work and commitment. This report provides us with a clear picture of where we are today and, importantly, where we need to get to next.”
The four areas assessed as Good were:
- Attracting, developing and retaining the workforce and creating a diverse and inclusive workplace
- Using powers fairly, appropriately and with justification
- Preventing and deterring crime and antisocial behaviour, and reducing vulnerability
- Responding to the public
The four areas that were assessed as Adequate were:
- Leadership and force management
- Safeguarding children and adults at risk of harm
- Managing fraud
- Providing a safe and lawful custody environment
And the area assessed as Requires Improvement was:
- Investigating crime
Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said: “I welcome this latest HMICFRS inspection report and, importantly, the recognition it gives to the progress made by Dyfed-Powys Police since the previous inspection.
“There is a clear message in this report that improvements are being delivered across several important areas, and I want to thank our officers and staff for the hard work, professionalism, and commitment that has made this possible.
“Moving from gradings of adequate to good in areas including our workforce, the fair and appropriate use of police powers, and preventing and deterring crime and anti-social behaviour is a significant step forward. These are areas that matter greatly to the communities we serve.
“However, we should not lose sight of the areas where the report tells us that further improvement is needed. In particular, the grading for investing crime as ‘requires improvement’, must remain a clear priority. There is also further work to do in safeguarding children and adults at risk of harm, managing fraud, and providing a safe and lawful custody environment.
“This report is therefore both recognition of the progress made and a clear reminder of the work that remains. We must build on these improvements, address the areas identified by HMICFRS and ensure that progress is sustained.
“The public rightly expects an effective and efficient police service. I am pleased that the hard work of officers and staff is being recognised, and I will continue to work with the Chief Constable to ensure that we maintain momentum, and deliver the improvements our communities deserve.”
The full HMICFRS PEEL report is available on the HMICFRS website.
