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

I recently visited the Talking Shop in Blackwood for a facilitated ‘meet the police and crime commissioner’ event with local people. We had a wide-ranging conversation covering lots of issues and people wanted to know more about the role of police and crime commissioner, and what the job involves.

Police and crime commissioners were introduced back in 2012 under David Cameron’s UK Government with the aim of making police forces more accountable to the public. We are not responsible for operational policing – that is the job of the chief constable – but we are responsible for holding the chief constable to account for how policing is delivered.

This is done by scrutinising performance data, reviewing policies and procedures, and asking questions. We must provide challenge when challenge is needed, but also recognise that part of our role is to support the chief constable so that they can deliver for our communities.

All of this work is carried out against a commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan, which sets out their priorities. With the support of my team, I have been working hard on my plan since election and it has been informed by public surveys, focus groups, and hundreds of conversations with residents about the issues that really matter to them. It will be launched at the end of the month.

As well as scrutinising policing and holding the chief constable to account on behalf of residents, commissioners must invest in services to support victims of crime, set the police budget every year, and work with partners in the wider criminal justice system to ensure that the right services are being delivered efficiently and effectively. We must also monitor the conditions in police custody, and the health and wellbeing of Gwent’s police dogs. 

We are elected to be the voice of the people and to serve the public, whether you voted for us or not, without “fear or favour”. I know that not everyone will share my views and that’s perfectly normal in a democracy. But I as I get ready to launch my Police, Crime and Justice plan for Gwent this month, I want to reassure you that every decision I take as commissioner is intended to create a safer Gwent for us all, and to make a real difference for our communities.