Police forces of Wales
Wales is served by four police forces, Dyfed-Powys Police, Gwent Police, North Wales Police and South Wales Police.[1]
List of police forces in Wales
South Wales Police
South Wales Police (Welsh: Heddlu De Cymru) is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. It is headquartered in Bridgend.
The force was formed as South Wales Constabulary on 1 June 1969, by the amalgamation of the former Glamorgan Constabulary, Cardiff City Police, Swansea Borough Police and Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police.[2][3] In 1974, with the reorganisation of local government, the force's area was expanded to cover the newly created counties of Mid, South and West Glamorgan. In 1996, the force adopted its current name and lost the Rhymney Valley area to Gwent Police due to further local government reorganisation.
Today, the force serves the principal areas of Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan – most of the ancient county of Glamorgan.
North Wales Police
North Wales Police (Welsh: Heddlu Gogledd Cymru) is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. Its headquarters are in Colwyn Bay. As of March 2020[update], the force has 1,510 police officers, 170 special constables, 182 police community support officers (PCSO), 71 police support volunteers (PSV), and 984 staff.[4]
Dyfed-Powys Police
Dyfed–Powys Police (Welsh: Heddlu Dyfed–Powys) is the territorial police force in Wales policing Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire (which make up the former administrative area of Dyfed) and the unitary authority of Powys (covering Brecknockshire, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire). The force was formed in 1968, with the merger of the Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire Constabulary, the Pembrokeshire Constabulary and the Mid Wales Constabulary.
The Dyfed–Powys region covers an area of 3,360 square miles (8,700 km2), with over 350 miles (560 km) of coastline. It includes many remote rural communities and a number of old industrial areas that are currently undergoing significant change and redevelopment. The population is under 500,000, although it is boosted each year with many tourist visitors.
The force's headquarters is in Carmarthen.
As of March 2020[update], the force had 1,145 police officers, 87 special constables, 143 police community support officers (PCSO), 55 police support volunteers (PSV), and 674 staff.[5]
Gwent Police
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Gwent Police (Welsh: Heddlu Gwent) is a territorial police force in Wales, responsible for policing the local authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen.
The force was formed in 1967 by the amalgamation of Monmouthshire Constabulary and Newport Borough Police. In 1974 its area was realigned to cover the new administrative county of Gwent, and in 1996, it was expanded again to cover the former Rhymney Valley district area that had become part of the Caerphilly county borough.
As of March 2020[update], the force has 1,308 police officers, 70 special constables, 115 police community support officers (PCSO), 40 police support volunteers (PSV), and 647 staff.[6]
British Transport Police
The police force on Wales's railways is the Great Britain-wide British Transport Police.[7]
Proposed all-Wales Police Force
Dr Richard Lewis, Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys police, has called for a Wales-wide police force by 2030.[8]
References
- ^ "Two of the four Welsh police forces 'require improvement' in the way they prevent and investigate crime". ITV News. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ "Welsh Police Football Association—Teams". Archived from the original on 8 May 2005. Retrieved 1 November 2006.
- ^ South Wales Police Museum
- ^ "Data tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2020 third edition'". Home Office. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ "Data tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2020 third edition'". Home Office. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ "Data tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2020 third edition'". Home Office. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ "British Transport Police | Office of Rail and Road". www.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
- ^ Robertson, Dominic. "Dyfed Powys Chief Constable calls for all-Wales police force". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.