All four Welsh Police and Crime Commissioners and all four Welsh Chief Constables met on Monday.
The All Wales Policing Group meeting was hosted by Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner, Ian Johnston.
It’s the second time the Commissioners and Chief Constables have met altogether since the Police and Crime Commissioners were elected. The first was in January in Llandrindod Wells.
The meeting included presentations by the President of ACPO, Sir Hugh Orde; Mandy Wilmot Divisional Manager Wales for Victim Services UK and Keith Bristow, the Director General for the National Crime Agency. National and local policing issues that impact on communities in Wales were also discussed.
Following the presentations, the four commissioners had a separate meeting where they received a presentation on the Drug Intervention Programme from Joanna Jordan, the Welsh Government Director of Corporate Services and Partnerships. They also considered future areas of policy and policing that they wish to influence and shared feedback on the national meetings they had attended as a Welsh representative.
Mr Johnston said: “These meetings are extremely valuable to all those attending. Hearing from relevant agencies including ACPO, Victim Support, HMIC and the National Crime Agency, provides us with the opportunity to gain a wider picture about issues affecting policing nationally.
“The meeting also provides us with an opportunity to discuss issues that matter to our local communities and share information to enable us to provide a joined up and coordinated approach to policing in Wales,”
A prelude to a single police force for Wales???, less three Chief Constables and three Crime and Police Commissioners of course.
I see this happening sooner than one would expect to happen.