Police and Crime Commissioner welcomes Inspectorate report that acknowledges improvements made by Dyfed-Powys Police

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn has today welcomed Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)’s report that confirms that Dyfed-Powys Police has improved in almost all aspects of crime recording over the last twelve months.

In May 2021, HMICFRS issued the Force with a cause of concern and made three urgent recommendations, including that the force should:

improve its systems and processes for recording reported crimes, paying particular attention to domestic abuse;
ensure adequate supervision of the crime-recording decisions made by police officers and staff; and
provide better training for all police officers and staff working on crime recording.

HMICFRS revisited Dyfed-Powys Police in 2022 and found that the force had made good progress against these recommendations. It said the force is now estimated to be recording:

91.6* percent of all reported crime (excluding fraud);
88.4* percent of violent offences; and
98.8* percent of sexual offences, a statistically significant improvement compared to an estimated 92.2 percent in 2021.

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said; “I welcome today’s announcement confirming that Dyfed-Powys Police have made improvements in their crime recording.

“The residents of Dyfed-Powys should expect that reports of crime are recorded and investigated appropriately and it was extremely disappointing and concerning last year that the Force was issued with the accelerated cause of concern.

“Over the last year, I have ensured there is thorough and sufficient scrutiny, and it is extremely pleasing that the improvements made by Dyfed-Powys Police have been acknowledged and recognised by HMICFRS, which has resulted in the discharge of cause of concern.

“It is important to note that there are still some improvements to be made, however, the Force is heading in the right direction. I now look forward to working closely with the Chief Officers to ensure we have an effective and efficient policing service that responds to the needs and expectations of our communities, and that we focus on placing victims at the heart of Dyfed-Powys Police.”

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Wendy Williams said:

“Accurate crime recording helps police forces prioritise investigations by using suitably skilled staff to give victims the service they deserve. It also helps forces to manage their resources and plan effectively for the future.

“After previously raising concerns in 2018 and again in 2021 about Dyfed-Powys Police’s failure to consistently record crimes, I am pleased that the force has now acted on our recommendations.

“The people of Wales will rightly expect Dyfed-Powys Police to ensure their reports of crime are recorded, reported, and taken seriously. On their behalf, I welcome the improvements that have been made over the past year. We will monitor the force’s performance to make sure that public safety continues to come first.”