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Jane Mudd is the police and crime commissioner for Gwent. She represents Labour.

Since my election as police and crime commissioner, I have spent much of my time getting to know the many different communities across the Caerphilly borough.

The region has the largest population in Gwent spread across its towns and villages, and over the last year I have visited schools, spoken at community meetings, and talked to residents as they go about their daily lives.

Wherever I have been, I have been struck by people’s sense of community and their pride in their area. This was at the forefront of my mind when choosing Caerphilly as the location to launch my new Police, Crime and Justice Plan last month.

The plan was developed following many months of extensive engagement with residents across Gwent and sets out what I aim to achieve during my time in office.

Residents told me that they want more visible policing and safer communities. They want more done to protect the most vulnerable in society, and they want the police to tackle the root causes of crime.

This engagement helped me to determine five priorities which are to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour, make communities safer, protect the vulnerable, put victims first, and reduce reoffending. My priorities are the people’s priorities, and it is against these priorities that you can hold me accountable at the next election.

This is an ambitious plan and to achieve it, we need investment. Fortunately, the need for greater investment in policing has been recognised by the UK Government, which has committed extra funding for neighbourhood policing – and promised to put 13,000 more officers into neighbourhood roles by 2029.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will also require police forces to have named and contactable officers for every ward and will guarantee police patrols in busy areas at peak times.

Of course, we must remember that a huge amount of police officer time is now spent dealing with ‘hidden crimes’ such as domestic abuse, sexual violence, cyber crime, and fraud. When people talk to me of no longer seeing ‘bobbies on the beat’ I remind them of this important work, and I think everyone understands that times have changed, crimes have changed, and policing has had to adapt.

However, there is no doubt that a more visible policing presence reassures communities and builds trust and confidence between residents and the police.

Chief constable Mark Hobrough and I are united in our commitment to increase visible policing in our communities and this work is already underway. I would advise residents to follow the Caerphilly policing team’s new Facebook page for regular updates on their work in the community.

The financial boost from the UK Government and promise of more officers is very welcome and will support this work, helping us to make a real difference for our communities in Caerphilly.