Gwent Police has announced plans to train 60 new police officers over the next three years.
The initial group of 19 trainee Police Constables will begin their training later this year and have been recruited from existing CSOs, Special Constables and police staff.
They will be deployed across Gwent in early 2016.
Twenty-one officers will be recruited in 2017 and a further 20 officers will be recruited in 2018.
This follows a two-year freeze on the recruitment of new police officers.
Gwent’s Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent Ian Johnston explained: “Despite the continued brutal cuts to frontline policing, we still have a need to recruit new officers to keep the public of Gwent safe. The force has undertaken a significant restructure of its operating model to future proof policing and service provision here in Gwent to ensure we have the appropriate level of staffing and resources required within the constraints set.
“Thanks to this prudent planning, which was recently acknowledged in a report by HMIC, the Chief Constable has been able to provide extra officers on the frontline by streamlining the management structure and recruiting existing staff members to replace those who have retired or have left the service. In reality this will mean a reduced number of supervisors.
“This is no mean feat considering the enormity of the financial challenges we face with on-going public spending cuts.
“I would like to congratulate the force on all of their hard work in making this is possible.”
Gwent Police currently employs 1,222 officers.
Any moves and acrobatics which puts more policemen on the streets has to be welcomed.
It is a public fact that the Crime Commissioner, and the Chief Constable, have conjured up some of the money for these `extra` officers by ` shuffling the deckchairs`. Reducing the number of supervisory Sargents throughout Gwent, and recruiting new officers from the ranks of police staff, voluntary Special Constables, AND from existing `Community Support Officers`.
Many Communities in Gwent have come to rely on the public face of the Gwent Police being Community Support Officers.
Whilst some of the money to pay or 60 additional Police Officers will be saved by reducing the number of existing suppervisory Sargents, ( put that money in the pot) where will the rest of the money come from?, some of it may well come from the `reduced` number of Community Support Officers post from those who are taking new jobs as Police Constables.if this is the case, those vacated posts will NOT be replaced and some Communities in Gwent may well lose the one link communities currently have, through CSO`s, and it remains to be seen where the 60 new officers will be posted, Newport? Abergavenny? Chepstow? other Rural areas which are difficult to police? or, in the highly populated Valley towns who currently very rarely see a Fully Qualified and Warrent Card,
Carrying Police Constable, certainly not in a proactive role,.and, as a result, have seen increases in low level Anti Social Behaviour, assaults, arson, criminal damage, all caused by people who, in pockets of activity, where, they `know they can` and get away with it.
It would be interesting to know if the vacated Community Support Office post will be maintained and officers who are sucessfuly metomorphed into Police Constabbles will be replaced?
It would also remain to be seen if the NEW Police Constables will sucessfully be deployed back into Communities, where they would prefer to work, rather than in packs of reactionery groups who`s only role, day in day out, is to react to emergancies, already Triaged by civilians working in Call Centres, which itself is a lottery, to see if the 101 telephone call is answered a all before the line goes dead. This failing 101 call system does actually contribute to the reduction of reported crime in Gwent, perhaps that is why nobody `seems` to be wanting to deal with it.
I would say, that I have NO disatisfaction with any Police Officers, or CSO`s, I come into contact with, they have to work with the tools they are given, they have to work with changing processes and procedures which `appear` to not deal with the issues on our streets.
The Caerphilly Police Commander has grasped public concern, in the town, and around Caerphilly, with both hands and has in recent weeks almost completely eliminated low level crime and disorder on the steets by the use of `dispersal orders`. but I bet he would welcome, just a couple, of the 60 new officers to work on his patch and to help hm with his endevours. But if his detachment of Community Support Officers was disproportionatly reduced as a result it would prove counter productive. so lets hope it is not the Crime Commissioners intention NOT to fill vacant CSO posts.
A waste of money really, the ones they have already couldn’t solve The Sun crossword, probably couldn’t even spell it so another 60 of the same isn’t going to make any difference.
Paul; The proposals are for 60 Fully Qualified and trained POLICE OFFICERS not Community Support Officers which it appears may be being reduced by this proposal. so that means good news in respect to your comment?.
Trefor; It’s the fully qualified and so called trained police officers who are as much use as an ash tray on a motorcycle, if you’re ever in the unfortunate position of calling upon Gwent police you will soon discover they are simply not fit for purpose, they are utterly hopeless, if they had a brain cell it would be lonely, most couldn’t catch a cold let alone a criminal and if be chance they happen to apprehend somebody who has broken the law they will be given better treatment than their victim, you’re better off sorting out the problem yourself as the useless police will only make your grief a whole lot worse with their bumbling incompetence.
I must say that is not my experience of our Community Support Officers in Caerphilly. And certainly not the Warrent Card Carrying Police Officers who respond to the most serious issues in the town,.
You fail to give them credit for dealing with some very serious issues from time to time, and, if they were`nt available to do so who would? the rest of your comment and opinion is probably said tongue in cheek, but I think you are in danger of committing an offence of sedition? i.e. “includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent (or esistance) to lawful authority”, Careful you dont see more of them than you want to Paul. lol.
You say Gwent Police:
Not fit for purpose?
If they had a brain cell it would be lonely?
As much use as an Ash Tray on a motorbike?
They are Utterly Hopeless?
Most could`nt catch a cold let alone a criminal?
Useless Police will only make your problem worse?
Guilty of Bumbling incompetence?
I dont for one minute think you believe what you have writen, BUT, if you do, why not give the Caerphilly Police Commander, Inspector Gareth Jones, a ring, and discuss your thought with him, he`d be delighted I am sure to set the record straight, and put a face to a name.
I believe every word Trefor, my experience of Geent police is that they are totally useless and incompetent. Unfortunately in the last 5 years I have been burgled twice and had my car broken into whilst parked outside a friends flat in Cardiff. On each occasion the police response was appalling and their handing of my problems nothing short of abysmal. The car break in I solved myself after I brought my own stolen goods back from eBay as the totally useless police didn’t believe me – the person who broke into my car was an Asylum Seeker who is still in the country and still selling stolen goods on eBay because the useless police couldn’t be bothered to contact eBay and speak with them – well done useless Gwent police. One burglary was literally laughed off by a useless police officer who had a very limited grasp of the English language and told me that house break ins are just a part of life and happen all the time – well done useless Gwent police. The second break in the police officer who turned up was so fat that they couldn’t climb the stairs without a rest half way up, again it was me who found evidence which led to them actually catching the scum who burgled my property causing over £2000 worth of damage, and after 6 months of hearing nothing from useless Gwent police I was called one evening out of the blue to be told that the scumbag had already appeared in court which I had not been informed of and he had been given 4 weeks in prison as he’d burgled many houses and owned up to mine to do a deal with the police, again I was not informed. So Trefor my view of Gwent police is very poor, they are not fit for purpose and are utterly useless and next time I see the scum who burgled my property I’ll deal with him myself as useless Gwent police didn’t deal with him at all.
I am often accused by others of being `negative`, in some of the views and opinions I express, but mostly that is because I dont support a particular political line, or, because I express a view on issues which I have a point to make and it does not fall in line with local political movers and shakers, some of whom are very`delicate` and sensitive and sometimes illinformed or just negligent in thier approach to issues which they constantly fail to engage with in the community.
Most people have a view on local policing, most, in fact almost everyone in Gwent, we are told, particularly by the elected Crime Commissioner (read Chief Constable) for Gwent Ian Johnston, are totally satisfied with Policing in Gwent, so your extreme and severe experiences and resultant conclusions and views on policemen and policing appear completely out of step with public opinion, and appears not to be the `norm.
I have also had my moments in respect to making my views known, from time to time, about a lack of attention to crime and disorder in our town, and what I think about it But there are things people can do about it by communicating directly with local senior officers, who, (at least the current Local Police commander), will listen and respond meaningfully to peoples concerns. There is also the Elected Crime Commissioner Ian Johnston, who should be our conduit between the us and the Gwent police, REPRESENTING US, perhaps you should express your views about police officers and policing in general in Gwent with him, and let us all know about that experience.
3 separate incidents over a 5 year period, each involved different police officers from different ranks and departments yet the treatment I recieved and the handling of each incident by Gwent police was the same on each occasion – virtually total incompetence and total lack of communication. My experience of Gwent police IS THE NORM, and during my dealings with Gwent police I spoke to many victims of crime who said the same, that Gwent police were totally useless and handled their case very poorly with little or no communication.
Thats that then Paul; I am sure the Crime commissioner Ian Johnston, who`s role it is, is to represent those he was elected by, would love to hear of your experience(s), particularly as you consider thm the norm`, it is, after all, his job to ensure that the citizen of Gwent are served well by Gwent Police, give him a ring!!!!.
I’ve seen these plastic coppers in action twice and I was very impressed with their performance. On both occasions they confronted a large group of kids once outside old Tescos and once in front of the rail/bus station. One of them hung back and then circled round the group whilst the other barged right to the centre and singled out the leader before dressing them down and sending them on their way.
The kids were just being kids but we’re doing it loudly with plenty of obscenities so the plastic coppers were right to disperse them. After the Tescos incident I was walking in the general direction of the group, Salop street/Windsor street etc and then witnesed them dissipate.
Job done! Speak as you find and in this case they did good.
The problem is of course that Community Support Officers have very limited powers when dealing with the public, they have nothing like the options a Police Officer have, and, as a result are seen by youngsters, who communicate on social media `exchanging information AND ADVICE` as officers who have no authority which is very relivent to them.
I understand what your saying Trefor and mostly agree which is why I use the light hearted but slightly derogatory term “Plastic Coppers”. I felt I had to stick up for them to a certain degree as I did see them in action and they were effective. There is really nothing wrong with “Plod Light” if they are an addition to a fully staffed police force as I see them as a replacement for that semi visible layer of authority that has long since disappeared. Such as the park keeper, the bus conductor and even the toilet attendant.
I also saw a couple of pcso’s on a random patrol in the lane behind my house twice last year. I just haven’t actually witnessed anything bad about them yet.