Billboard spring final 2017

The magazine for South Wales Police people • SPRING 2017

IN THIS ISSUE...

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN WELSH LANGUAGE STANDARDS ABUSE OF POWER

CONTENTS SPRING 2017

The magazine for South Wales Police people

IN EVERY ISSUE 3

From the Chief

31

Letters & Feedback

4-11

News

32

and finally...

30

Sports & Social

FEATURES pages 14-28 We hope you enjoy this edition of Billboard, we work hard to ensure the magazine is lively, entertaining and covers the things that matter to you.

Your Billboard In order to cut costs we print Billboard in-house and provide an online version. We work with our printing department to ensure that it is produced in the most sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Much of the content is generated by our readers so if you have anything interesting going on please contact a member of the editorial or news team. We can also arrange for a professional photographer to attend your event, so let us know if you think there is an opportunity to take a good photo, We are happy to help!

15-17

Welsh Language Standards - All you need to know about the new guidelines.

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Facial recognition We are teaming up with NEC to pilot facial recognition technology.

18-19

Changing the way we record use of force to boost public confidence and increase transparency.

24-25

Final countdown The eyes of the world will be on South Wales in June for the finals of the Champions League.

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PRE-BAIL CHANGES A new law concerning Pre-Charge Bail has come into force - we look at its implications.

26-27

Abuse of power PSD have launched a campaign on how you can help end this form of corruption.

Contact us Editor: Paul Fisher......................... 20763 Picture desk: Marc Saunders.... 20838 News team: Rhodri Kendall................................20863 Anthony Topazio (Western)...... 50757 Andrew George (Eastern)...........34951 Ceri Doyle (Northern)................. 40760 Carys Lewis (Central).................... 27216 Juliet Gardner (HQ)......................20287 Coral Cole (HQ).............................. 20816 Carly Yeates (HQ)......................... 20845 The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official policies or the views of South Wales Police. We reserve the right to edit articles submitted as appropriate and cannot guarantee their inclusion in the magazine.

Designed & Printed by South Wales Police Printing Department.

FROM THE CHIEF Welcome to BILLBOARD

From the Chief Welcome to the latest edition of Billboard!

I’m sure you would want to join me in extending the deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of PC Keith Palmer who died in the most tragic circumstances in Westminster.

PC Palmer was killed while doing his job of serving and protecting community – something which you as South Wales Police officers do every day to keep the public safe from harm.

In this edition of Billboard, we feature the planning and preparation ahead of the UEFA Champions League finals being held in Cardiff in June.

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We will be welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to our capital city and this event will once again allow us to demonstrate how we police major events here in South Wales.

South Wales Police places an emphasis on providing a good quality service, in Welsh or English.

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Don’t forget nominations for the 2017 Force Awards closes on Friday 5th May.

Staying on the football theme, it’s great to see the feedback we’ve received from visiting supporters and colleagues from other forces on the way in which we police matches in Swansea and Cardiff, which is testament to the professionalism of those involved in planning these fixtures.

Since the last edition, Welsh Language Standards have been introduced which requires us to increase and normalise the use of Welsh. Put simply - in our dealings with members of the public South Wales Police places an emphasis on providing a good quality service, in Welsh or English.

There is practical advice and information both in this edition of Billboard and on the intranet to help you achieve this important goal.

Last, but by no means least, nominations for the annual awards are now open and I would encourage you all to think about the teams, projects and individuals that you think are worthy of recognition and exemplify the values of the force.

Every year it fills me with pride to read about the achievements and efforts of our colleagues who go above and beyond to work with and protect our communities, and which makes South Wales Police one of the best forces in the country.

I very much look forward to joining the Commissioner again in judging this year’s awards and to celebrating your hard work and commitment at the ceremony on October 12th.

Nominations close on Friday 5th May. Thank you.

Peter Vaughan Chief Constable

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NEWS

New force website goes live As part of a series of new technologies being introduced through the Fusion programme, the force has launched a brand new website. e site has been designed to make it easier for users to navigate and find the information they require effortlessly, with the aim of reducing demand into the force.

Some of the highlights of the new website are: n A ‘Do it Online’ section n A clean and simplified design n An English or Welsh language choice landing page n Enhanced HR pages providing users with more information about working for South Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Lewis said: “A good website is essential for any successful business and South Wales Police is no different. We wanted to create a site with a user first approach, useful on every device with a simplified design with the aim of reducing demand into the force.

“Users have been at the forefront of the re-design, when they come to our website they want to complete an action or find some information.

“e site embraces new website norms with streamlined content to ensure we service the needs of our communities and build on opportunities to ease pressure on the public service centre and front line officers.

“We know that a website is a never a finished project and we want to be an organisation that keeps our finger on the digital pulse. We are taking a phased approach to introducing more transactional services of our own, such as online crime reporting and online payments over next 12 months. “e use of new technology is a key priority in the Chief Constable’s Delivery Plan 2016-17, with the new website going live and the launch of the new intranet expected shortly.”

Continuous improvement

Continuous Imp rovement is an integral part ongoing jour of “how thin ney - it is an gs are done” Police, it is at within South the heart of Wales everything that we do.

Staff and officers have embraced the continuous improvement process to come up with a number of creative and innovative ideas to help us deliver the best possible service to our communities. e force is committed to engaging staff to improve the organisation. Many different approaches have been taken towards continuous improvement with the common goal of improving the way we work.

Earlier this year, the continuous improvement portal was updated to ensure that we are able to provide colleagues with resources and information to better support organisational change and improvements.

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To ensure that continuous improvement continues to be at the heart of the organisation, the Continuous Improvement Oversight Board and departmental and BCU champions focus creative and innovative ideas to ensure we continue to provide the best possible service to our communities.

Chief Superintendent Jon Edwards said: “We have already received some excellent creative and innovative ideas and I know that we have many more ideas out there that will help us continue to deliver the

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best possible quality of service to our communities and remain one of the most innovative forces in the country.

I encourage all officers and staff to submit their ideas, particularly those that they feel would help us improve the way we deliver services internally or to our communities.”

NEWS

South Wales Club Crew initiative graduates with honours Following on from its introduction to South Wales last year, the results from the first academic term of the Club Crew initiative are now demonstrating the positive impact that it is having. rough collaboration between the Police & Crime Commissioner, Drink Aware and the South Wales Student Unions, the Club Crew aim to safeguard students by raising awareness of sexual harassment and supporting those who are vulnerable as a result of drinking too much alcohol. e Crew work in pairs throughout the evening, engaging customers, checking high risk areas and ensuring that people leave safely when the venue closes.

In the first academic term, the Club Crew have supported 520 people through 622 activities, which included helping to get people home safely and dealing with those who had become ill/vulnerable due to alcohol. In 49 instances the Crew worked with external agencies such as St Johns Ambulance and in a further 66, they engaged with security staff on a range of issues including suspected sexual harassment.

Assistant Police & Crime Commissioner Bonnie Navarra said: “ese results demonstrate the positive impact of the Club Crew within our student communities. By engaging directly with their peers, the Crew are able to take prompt, positive action to protect those who have become vulnerable due to alcohol and in turn this is reducing the demand placed upon ourselves and our partners.” e programme is funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales for the full 2016 -17 academic year.

Are you doing enough for people affected by crime?

South Wales Victim Focus is the new name for the service provided in South Wales by Victim Support but officers and staff have a key role to play in this enhanced service.

Whilst the details of most occurrences are transferred automatically on a daily basis to South Wales Victim Focus who will then attempt to offer support to victims, some may initially decline the service or be unreachable, whilst there is also no automatic referral process for witnesses or other people potentially affected by an incident. As such, officers and staff are being encouraged to remain alert to the changing needs of victims or anyone affected by an incident.

identified, a referral can and should be made to South Wales Victim Focus, with the individuals consent, via Niche.

If during any engagement with a victim, witness or anyone affected by an incident vulnerability or support needs are

For further information, officers and staff can speak to Wendy Evans on ext 70342.

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NEWS

Cariad at Gorseinon anks to Gorseinon Town Council and the charity Cariad, a defibrillator has been installed at Gorseinon Police Station.

Cariad has supplied 500 defibrillators to schools, communities and CFR teams since its launch in 2012. In addition, Cariad has supplied or maintained 16 other defibrillators in the Gorseinon area – and a number of which have already been used and saved lives in the local community.

defibrillators – it then became a registered charity the following year.

Sergeant Phil Morris said: “is is an excellent initiative and we are very grateful to Cariad, who do brilliant work across Wales. e Defibrillator, which has been purchased by Gorseinon Town Council, will e organisation was launched by Sherilyn be placed outside the police station so it will Hamilton-Shaw to raise awareness and funding to help provide seven schools in the be available to serve the whole community.

“We hope that we never need to use this Llanelli area with life-saving training and

device, but it is comforting to know that we have such an innovative and vital piece of kit within the station. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for attending today and showing support.”

Cariad continues to grow working closely with the Welsh Ambulance Service and Community First Responder teams across Wales.

For more information: www.mycariad.org

LDS launch Cyber Crime & Internet Safety Training

Positive results for residents

e Investigative Training Unit in LDS embarked on a series of Cyber Crime and Internet Safety training sessions for pupils, teachers, staff and parents.

We have worked with our partner agencies and residents to address issues in the Fernhill Estate.

DC 3385 Symon Kendall and DC 2501 Justin Lott joined PC 3543 John Stewart and PCSO 55515 Liz Tancock at Trelales Primary School in Bridgend, after discussions with the headteacher who raised this as an issue that was causing concern. is input was given to teachers and parents and was extremely well received with some fantastic feedback from the headteacher and parents. Some parents were visibly shocked at what could be accessed by their children online with the majority stating that they would change the internet access privileges of their children as soon as they got home!

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We see this as an on-going project for LDS with a real opportunity to engage with the community and improve online safety for children and parents and will be giving more presentations of this nature to other schools in the near future.

In the summer there were concerns from local residents that anti-social behaviour and crime was increasing on the estate.

After a meeting with our partner agencies we launched Operation Violet Cobra to address drug dealing and a number of arrests were made and significant amount of drugs recovered.

Deputy Local Police Inspector Jo Jones said: “After months of positive action we are hoping residents are feeling safer on the estate and criminals have received a clear message that they will be targeted and caught.

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The importance of early intervention

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The police are often the first agency to be in contact with children or families in need of help but early intervention can help to prevent problems before they escalate, reduce victimisation, divert people away from crime and reduce the demands placed on ourselves and our partners.

Research work undertaken by Public Health Wales has evidenced the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how preventing these issues could dramatically reduce crime and damage to health and society more widely: Work is now being progressed by the Police & Crime Commissioner to stop this cycle of harm through the funding of

an Early Intervention Project within Central BCU, in collaboration with Public Health Wales, which also draws upon work recently undertaken through Operation Liberty.

Whilst still in development, Commissioner Alun Michael said of the project: “It is a key principle for South Wales Police to intervene quickly whenever problems first

emerge which is why I am delighted to have been able to support the Early Intervention Project through the Home Office Police Innovation Fund, as we look to break the generational cycle of offending.”

A communications plan is being developed to ensure officers and staff can stay informed on the progress of the project as it develops.

WHAT IF WE PREVENTED ACEs? PREVENTING ACEs IN FUTURE GENERATIONS COULD REDUCE LEVELS OF:

HEROIN/COCAINE USE BY 66% (lifetime)

INCARCERATION BY 65% (lifetime)

VIOLENCE PERPETRATION BY 60% (past year)

VIOLENCE VICTIMISATION BY 57% (past year)

CANNABIS USE BY 42%

UNINTENDED TEEN PREGNANCY BY 41%

HIGH-RISK DRINKING BY 35%

EARLY SEX BY 31% (before age 16)

SMOKING TOBACCO OR E-CIGARETTES BY 24% (current)

POOR DIET BY 16% (current <2 fruit & veg portions daily)

Source: Public Health Wales

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NEWS

#DrinkLessEnjoyMore campaign changes focus Over the past two years, the force has worked with partner agencies to ensure alcohol related violence is addressed and reduced across South Wales. e #DrinkLessEnjoyMore campaign has successfully reduced demand placed on emergency services due to alcohol related violence.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said: “Working with Liverpool John Moore University we know the campaign has successfully educated the public on the law around the consumption of alcohol, provided resources to train bar staff about their responsibilities, and encouraged people to enjoy their night whilst saying safe.

“In a survey carried out by the University among users of the night time economy throughout South Wales, the number of people who alcohol, either at home or at venues in their local community. knew it is illegal to purchase alcohol for someone who is clearly drunk increased from 50.3 % to 63.4% between 2015 and 2016 as a “Moving forward the campaign will evolve to educate those about direct result of campaign interventions. the impact excessive pre-loading -drinking before entering the night time economy - can have on someone’s behaviour.”

“Looking at data provided by our emergency services partners we know that a large percentage of people who attend our night time e #DrinkLessEnjoyMore campaign featured during policing economy venues have already consumed a considerable amount of operations for the RBS 6 Nations and Welsh Varsity 2017.

Encouraging victims to report assaults rough partnership work and by comparing police and health data, we know that across South Wales, on average, 30 per cent of assault victims who attend Accident and Emergency Departments do not report the matter to police.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said: “Improving the way in which we connect with, involve and inform our communities is a fundamental priority set out in the Police and Crime Reduction Plan. is works both ways, the communities of South Wales need to feel supported and fully understand the importance of reporting violent crime or any other crime to the appropriate emergency service.

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“Work will be carried out to launch a campaign to highlight under reporting at Accident and Emergency Departments and create change for the better. By doing this, measures can be introduced to protect the vulnerable, support those in need, reduce reoffending and prosecute the guilty.” e campaign will be fully supported by local health boards and championed throughout BCUs by operational policing.

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Dyfodol makes a difference Six community-based staff located across Swansea, Neath and Bridgend areas have acted to save the lives of vulnerable people across the three communities. ey are members of a team from the Dyfodol consortium who are commissioned to provide substance misuse treatment to people involved in the criminal justice system. ey have all been involved in extremely challenging incidents during the past year

where their quick thinking and speedy actions have undoubtedly saved the lives of service users who, either accidentally or deliberately, put their lives at risk through drug use. e team is trained to administer lifesaving doses of a drug called Prenoxad to substance misusers who are showing signs of overdose. Prenoxad acts as an antidote to opioids and allows recovery long enough for emergency services to attend. e issuing of this medication is sponsored by the Welsh Government and it is also issued to relevant individuals for their own protection.

Gareth Hopkins, Manager of Offender Interventions said: “ese workers face huge daily challenges in supporting the most chaotic people in our communities – including offenders who are serious Class A drug users. All of these incidents have been in public areas where, without their quick actions, distress could be caused to other service users and the public.”

Budding bobbies get behind-the-scenes visit Central BCU officers have helped grant the wishes of two budding bobbies after inviting them for behind-thescenes station visits.

Bridgend PCSOs Emma Watkins (now PC) and Rhys Jones organised the visit for sixyear-old Iestyn Baldwin after spotting a social media post about the police-mad youngster’s battle with leukaemia.

Clad in his beloved police costume, the youngster and his parents were given a

police escort to the custody suite at Queens Road Police Station, where he was greeted by Chief Superintendent Stuart Parfitt.

Iestyn, who also suffers with autism, was then whisked off to be ‘booked in’. After being measured, he had his fingerprint and “Also you are my hero! When I grow up I footprints taken, visited the custody cells, want to be in the SWAT team. When I grow and took part in an ‘interview’ with Custody up I will fight crime.”

Sergeant Jon Richards.

Impressed by his enthusiasm – which also Making his visit extra special, police dogs included a request to “see jail so I know what Spud and Amber also dropped by with I’m in for in future” – CI Gore responded handler Sergeant Andrew Patterson, before with a letter of her own, inviting the Nash he was taken to visit the horses at the family along for a visit at Barry Police Station. mounted police section.

As well as meeting the Chief Inspector and Mum Anna, 32, said the day had been a Sergeant Julie Odgers from the dream come true for her brave son, who was Neighbourhood Policing Team, Ellis and his returning to hospital later the same day to sister Emily were surprised with a visit from undergo a further round of chemotherapy. firearms officers, PCs Martyn Davies and Just weeks later, it was the turn of Barry Tony O’Hanlon, and given the chance to schoolboy Ellis Nash, who was invited to make fingerprint keyrings as a keepsake from meet Chief Inspector Lisa Gore, after he their visit. penned a letter to his “heroes” at “the Barry CI Gore said: “It was a pleasure to have Ellis Police Department” urging them to keep up and his family in to see us at the station. the good work.

“He has a genuine interest in the work we do e nine-year-old added: “I’ve loved and I hope the visit has further inspired him policemen since I was young. I love your to follow his ambition.” work, you save the country.

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NEWS

Welcome Results In the last two years no positive results have been recorded in the 234 routine random tests for controlled drugs conducted with officers and staff.

Chief Supt Dorian Lloyd, Head of Professional Standards Department, said: “ese results are very welcome indeed and a clear indication of the professionalism and highest levels of integrity displayed by staff throughout South Wales Police.”

Testing applies to all police officer, special constables, police community support officers and some specific police staff roles.

Random sampling takes place without advance notice and helps ensure that we provide a safe, healthy and productive working environment for our staff. e misuse of alcohol and drugs can lead to reduced

efficiency, increased risk of accidents, increased sick leave, potential misconduct and criminality. is can have serious consequences for individuals, their families and the wider police service. It can also be a criminal offence to put others at risk by negligent acts or omissions. is is of particular concern in respect of safety critical roles, where the consequences that may arise through impaired judgement are especially serious. e Anti-Corruption Unit can also conduct targeted ‘with cause’ testing where there is reasonable suspicion of substance misuse being undertaken.

Staff are reminded that you are expected to let your line manager know if you have concerns about a colleague’s drug or alcohol use. if not appropriate, you can contact professional standards directly.

Tenancy Warnings A tenancy warning has been issued for the first time in South Wales, to a traveller family living on the Shirenewton site in Cardiff.

PC Clare Devonshire worked alongside Cardiff council to issue the warning after an 11 year-old boy was linked to a spate of complaints from other residents.

It was issued within weeks of the innovative initiative being rubber stamped by the council’s legal team. It takes advantage of a clause in all council tenancy agreements which requires the responsible behaviour of tenants. e family are now on a 12 month behavioural contract which if breached could result in their eviction.

PC Devonshire, said: “Shirenewton is a large, established community which experiences the same problems as any

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other. We will continue to work with the residents on the site to ensure they are able to live lives and not be blighted by anti-social behaviour and crime.”

Biggest Challenge: Residents on the site are reluctant to engage with police to report incidents.

How you overcome it: Using resident licensing agreements between residents and the council enabled us to take action without being reliant on residents to provide evidence.

Takeaway: Build up good working relationships with site management teams as it enabled effective and efficient actions on sites.

School Netball Tournament Gower Neighbourhood Policing Team joined forces with the Crimebeat charity to host the second Gower School netball tournament. e event, which took place at Swansea University sports Hall, involved 14 primary schools from the Gower Sector – and included group stages.

Although organised by the Gower NPT, it is run with the support of the High Sheriff’s Crime Beat charity – and this years’ incumbent, Donna Mead – was on hand to give out the prizes to the worthy winners.

Sergeant Chris Dix of Gower NPT said: “is is a fantastic event which my team and I are proud to be part of. It is an excellent opportunity to work with partners to bring together young people from across the Gower sector and to engage with them through the medium of sport.

“It allows them to get to know their local officers and it gives us the opportunity to talk to them about important issues such as internet safety. I’d like to thank all those who helped to make the event happen.”

FEATURE

CSE Awareness Day In the run up to the 2017 national CSE awareness day the Force organised and hosted a multi-agency ‘Together Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation’ conference the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. e conference attracted over 100 senior professionals from across Wales and England from the fields of police, local government, third sector, and national government including the Home Office. e event was a mixture of presentations and practical workshops and included key note addresses from ACC Jonathan Drake as the all Wales CSE policing lead, Sally Holland the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and Donald Findlater from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation who work in partnership with the Welsh police forces on Operation Netsafe. e conference included a recorded video message from a perpetrator who explained how he began to offend, and how with support from the Stop it Now! service run by the Lucy Faithfull charity, he is addressing and taking responsibility for his behaviour. is was followed by a presentation from the wife of a perpetrator whose life, and that of her grown up children, was forever changed when her husband was arrested and then convicted for possession of indecent images of children just nine months ago. Her brave presentation detailed the devastating effect her husband’s offending had caused not only to the victims in the images he had downloaded but also to the rest of her family. She explained that the families of perpetrators are often overlooked as being victims,

and she hoped her experience will be used to improve the way innocent family members are dealt with by the police in the future.

Following the keynote speakers and presentations, table top discussions were held where experiences and best practice was shared from across the safeguarding arena. is feedback will be used to help develop a framework which will be used across Wales to help improve safeguarding of children and bring offenders to justice. e conference was closed with an address from Lee Jones, Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales, who thanked the speakers and stressed the importance of keeping up the momentum in this important safeguarding area. He went on to explain that minimising the risks to children from CSE will require ever greater partnership work especially at a time when public service budgets are reducing.

Impressive results for our new Police On-line Investigation Team (POLIT) 76 warrants have been executed and 50 arrests made in the first six months since our Police On-line Investigation Team (POLIT) was set up in September 2016. e POLIT is a centrally based team of detectives who investigate individuals in south Wales who use the internet with the intent to sexually exploit and abuse children.

Det Inspector Nick Bellamy said “In a very short time period the POLIT has built up

the required skills effectively to tackle this criminality. “e close working relationship with internal departments such as the Digital Forensic and Cyber Crime Unit has also ensured that Indecent Images of Children (IIoC) investigations are carried out

efficiently, with devices triaged at the scene and individuals arrested and processed quickly and therefore not spending excessive amounts of time on bail. “e number of warrants executed to date is evidence of the tenacity of the officers to protect vulnerable young people not only in Wales and the UK but internationally too.” e occupations of individuals arrested to date by the POLIT include a magistrate, GP, IT consultant and a train driver.

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NEWS

Operation Liberty Protecting Vulnerable People Last August ACC Drake asked you how we could better protect the vulnerable members of our communities, and the feedback you provided identified where further work was required.

Key areas of concern were: Missing people, in particular children who are at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE). e care of individuals with mental health issues and the challenge for officers who are often caught between health care and custody when dealing with a person in crisis.

Poor availability of social services staff to take welfare check calls and conduct joint visits with vulnerable people.

In addition, internal matters such as training, access to information and the need for additional resources to tackle these issues was also highlighted.

A Strategic Protecting Vulnerable People Board was formed and individuals tasked to undertake research, ask questions and get to the root of these concerns. is work found that effective partnership working is key to protecting vulnerable people. However it also identified that if some partner agencies better addressed issues earlier, we would see a reduction in the need for police intervention. is was most clearly shown in the South Wales Police Report on Missing Persons in Wales, which looked at data captured from between 21-27th September 2016. is found that nearly half of all missing persons (mispers) were ‘looked after’ children, and that 3 in 10 child mispers were recorded as having links to child sexual exploitation.

A review of our misper recording, risk assessment, supervision and investigation management processes resulted in 19 recommendations to improve our response to missing persons, and highlighted that

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to Operation “ anks Liberty we now have a greater understanding of the issues faced by officers, staff, and partner agencies.

”

stronger links needed to be developed with key agencies such as the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW).

the best possible position to protect vulnerable members of our communities.”

ACC Drake said: “e role of the board is to support the outstanding work officers and staff do every day to protect vulnerable people.

Along with improving processes and training, there has been an uplift in resources within the Specialist Crime portfolio which has created an additional 147 posts. is has allowed dedicated Missing Person and CSE Teams to be developed within each BCU, a Police Online Investigation Team to be formed, and posts to manage sexual and violent offenders to be secured. In addition, we have recruited more Analysts and Intelligence Researchers.

“anks to Operation Liberty we now have a greater understanding of the issues faced by officers and staff, the role of partner agencies, and the impact on police resources. With this valuable information, we have taken action to ensure that as an organisation we are in

Operation Liberty also addresses vulnerability associated with modern slavery, human trafficking, domestic abuse, and organised crime groups who are operating across county lines, and work is ongoing in each of these areas.

As a result, CSSIW and South Wales Police will co-host a bespoke event on 3rd May with partners responsible for looking after children in residential care to determine what good care looks like and how we can reduce the number of missing episodes.

NEWS

SWP Health and Wellbeing Seminar Officers and staff from across the organisation attended our first #TeamSWP Health and Wellbeing Seminar at Cardiff and Vale College. e seminar came on the back of a series of workshops which took place in 2016 to gain a greater understanding on what Health and Wellbeing means within the workforce.

Working groups proposed a number of innovative ideas and initiatives to feed into the refreshed Health and Wellbeing Seminar which will be published in the Spring. In the meantime, work is being undertaken by those who participated in the groups to progress fantastic ideas such as;

n Promoting key new initiatives such as face to face communication, a ‘Whats On’ of social events across the Force and the introduction of Wellbeing Wednesdays. n Creation of a Health and Wellbeing ‘One Stop Shop’ portal on the soon to be relaunched website n Development of a toolkit for managers, to help signpost supervisors to not only policy but to additional support and guidance for key issues such as mental health, compassionate leave, work life balance etc. n Review of the training we currently provide in terms of Health and Wellbeing and how this can be enhanced. n A review of internal demand, including the use of emails, to establish new ways of working that can help minimise the impact of such demands on officers and staff.

DCC Jukes said: “Over the last year we have been listening to colleagues and trying to understand what does the future of Health and Wellbeing may look like within South Wales Police. For me, it includes everything from sickness, absence all the way through to how a person is feeling and how able they feel to achieve their true potential.”

Mr Mark Milton said: “Having the opportunity to listen about Oscar Kilo, a Health and Wellbeing campaign run by Lancashire Police, there is a lot we already do well that features as best practice. I feel that the model developed by Lancashire Police also highlights areas where we can learn from and create change within our own organisation to better serve #TeamSWP. “I have been blown away by the ambition and drive everyone has put into contributing to

the over-arching strategic direction of Health and Wellbeing. Findings from the event will be taken forward by a series of working groups to create real change that can better serve you, to help you carry out your role, to keep South Wales safe.”

If you wish to get involved or have an idea that you want to get off the ground within your own team, please contact Sarah Bray (ext. 20205) or Stephen Routledge (ext. 20620).

#TeamSWP Health and Wellbeing achievements South Wales Police has already taken significant steps to ensure the provision of Health and Wellbeing within the force is improved for our officers and staff:

✔ Global Corporate Challenge

A total of 560 employees took part in the challenge and accumulated a total of 433,559,791 steps which equates to 172,417 miles.

✔ Assaults on Police Officers

South Wales Police Chief Constable Peter Vaughan and Federation Chair Steve Trigg have signed a seven point plan that sets out the way we support officers and staff in the rare circumstance that they are assaulted.

✔ Flexible Working – As part of the

work carried out by the Gender Working Group FL1 flexible working requests are in the process of being modernised and better oversight created.

✔ Blue Light Pledge – South Wales

Police is in the process of signing the Blue Light Time to Change Pledge which to support emergency service personnel who need mental health support.

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BILLBOARD SPRING 2017 13

FEATURE

Police & Crime Reduction Plan gets a refresh UPDATED PRIO RITIES

The South Wales Police and Crime Panel agreed to a five per cent increase in the police precept and also approved a refresh to the joint Police & Crime Reduction Plan.

The rise to the precept equates to an extra £10.39 per year (or 20p a week) for a band D household and will help to facilitate a modest investment in protecting vulnerable people, whilst also helping to maintain our commitment to neighbourhood policing. Police and Crime Commissioner, Alun Michael said:

the future of policing in South Wales; both of which are key areas of delivery within the joint Police & Crime Reduction Plan.”

Following its approval by the Police and Crime Panel, a refreshed Police and Crime Reduction Plan will soon be circulated electronically to officers and staff, reflecting recent achievements and placing a greater emphasis on early intervention and prompt, positive action. In line with the same format that was positively received last year, the plan remains focussed on the same six priority areas:

“Despite the financial challenges, the force has consistently improved its performance and service to our communities and is recognised as one of the best performing forces in England & Wales. Much of this success has been recognised by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, particularly in relation to improving the levels of victim satisfaction where we have established ourselves amongst the top forces in the country and the visibility of our officers in communities which is unsurpassed.

2. We will improve the way in which we connect with, involve and inform our communities

This increase will help us to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and invest in

3. We will work to protect the most vulnerable in our communities

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14 BILLBOARD SPRING 2017

1. We will reduce and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour to keep people safe and confident in their homes and communities

AND ACHIEVE MENTS FOR 201 7

SOUTH WAL ES POLICE & C R IME REDUCT 2017-21ION PLAN EXECUTIVE SU MMARY

4. We will make sure that the Local Criminal Justice System works effectively and efficiently, meeting the needs of victims and challenging offenders 5. We will make our contribution to the strategic policing requirement and successfully police major events 6. We will spend your money wisely to protect policing in your community Copies of the plan will be distributed within communities across the force area with digital formats available via the Commissioner and South Wales Police websites.

FEATURE

Safonau’r Gymraeg Fel y gwyddoch erbyn hyn ers 30 Mawrth 2017 mae’n ofynnol i Heddlu De Cymru gydymffurfio â Safonau Iaith newydd.

Diben Safonau'r Gymraeg yw cynyddu a normaleiddio'r defnydd o'r iaith Gymraeg fel y gall siaradwyr Cymraeg ddefnyddio'r iaith ym mhob rhan o'u bywydau.

Mae'r safonau yn gymwys i bawb a gyflogir gan Heddlu De Cymru be bynnag yw eu gallu neu cymhwysedd yn y Gymraeg.

Does dim angen poeni a newid dull gweithio am y rhan fwyaf o'r Safonau. Ond mae rhai wedi gofyn i ni gyd wneud mân newidiadau.

Sa ydych wedi gwneud yn eisioes sicrhewch: n Bod eich llofnod electronig a neges ‘allan o’r swyddfa’ yn ddwyieithog n Bod eich gallu Cymraeg wedi ei nodi yn gywir a’r y intranet

n Bod unrhyw lythyr neu ebost a dderbynnir yn Gymraeg yn cael ei ateb yn Gymraeg

‘‘

n Bod unrhyw alwad ffon allanol yn cael ei ateb yn ddwyieuthog

Er mwyn helpu a chefnogi swyddogion mae safle intranet Safonau'r Gymraeg ar gael ar ein intranet.

Cyfeiriwch unrhyw ymholiadau am Safonau’r iaith Adam Green (Datblygu Corfforaethol)  70572 neu ebost Adam.Green@south-wales.pnn.police.uk

’’

Diolch am eich cymorth i sicrhau cydymffurfiaeth.

Bydd y Safonau yn ein helpu i sicrhau ein bod yn rhoi'r gwasanaeth gorau posibl i'r cymunedau a wasanaethwn pa bynnag iaith maen’t yn ei ddewis.

Jeremy Vaughan Prif Gwnstabl Cynorthwyol

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BILLBOARD SPRING 2017 15

FEATURE

Welsh Language Standards As you know since 30 March 2017 South Wales Police is required to comply with new language standards.

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16 BILLBOARD SPRING 2017

‘‘

The purpose of the Welsh language standards is to increase and normalise the use of the Welsh language so that Welsh speakers can use the Welsh language in all walks of life.

The standards apply to everyone employed by South Wales Police no matter your Welsh language ability or competency. Adhering to these standards is a legal requirement and something which every officer and member of staff should be doing.

Most of the standards have not required officers and staff to take action, but some have required us all to make minor adjustments to what we do and how we do it.

Unless you have already done so please ensure: n Your electronic signature and out of office messages are bilingual

n Your Welsh language ability is up to date on the intranet

n All correspondence you receive in Welsh is answered in Welsh

n Any external calls received are answered bi-lingually

’’

To assist and support officers in ensuring compliance the Welsh language standards microsite is available on the intranet and if you have any questions please refer them to: Adam Green (Corporate Development)  70572 or email Adam.Green@south-wales.pnn.police.uk

Thank you for your assistance in ensuring compliance. The Standards will help us ensure that we provide the communities we serve with the best possible service whether they choose to access it through the medium of English or Welsh.

Jeremy Vaughan Assistant Chief Constable

‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘

FEATURE

’’ ’’ ’’

Remember to answer all external telephone calls bi-lingually Bore da Heddlu De Cymru, good morning South Wales Police

Prynhawn da Heddlu De Cymru, good afternoon South Wales Police Noswaith dda Heddlu De Cymru, good evening South Wales Police

It’s also good practice to use the above greetings as well as these simple words Diolch (thank you) Hwyl fawr (goodbye) whenever you are interacting with a member of the public

If you receive correspondence (letter or email) in Welsh you can obtain a translation of the correspondence by sending it to Welsh Language Translations.

For short correspondence consider speaking to any Welsh speakers in your team who are happy and feel comfortable and able assist you with translation Ensure that your Welsh Language competency level is up to date by amending your level accordingly using the Update my details option on the Corporate Directory which is available via Connect

Translations If you require English text to be translated email WelshLanguageTranslations@south-wales.pnn.police.uk with your request and this text will be returned to you Why not use Google Translate for simple translation tasks on the go – it’s available on Samsung devices Grammar check – there’s a free online Welsh checker called Cysill.

There’s a full list of translations for force departments and job titles on Connect You can find audio files to help with pronunciation of simple greetings and phrases on Connect

What you need to do: 1.

Answer all external telephone calls bilingually

2. Ensure that all correspondence issued states that the Force welcomes correspondence through the medium of Welsh 3. Ensure that if you receive correspondence from a person in Welsh you must reply in Welsh (if an answer is required), unless the person has indicated that there is no need to reply in Welsh.

4. When you correspond with someone for the first time or if their language choice isn’t known then you must do so bilingually 5. If a person contacts you by social media in Welsh, you must reply in Welsh (if an answer is required) 6. Ensure all marketing materials (leaflets, posters, booklets) for public dissemination are be bi-lingual 7. Ensure that your email signature and out of office messages you use are bilingual 8. Ensure that your Welsh Language competency level is up to date

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BILLBOARD SPRING 2017 17

FEATURE

USE OF

FORCE

Recording use of force will increase transparency, boost public confidence and give a real insight into the tactics used by police officers on the frontline.

Over two years ago the former Home Secretary Teresa May called for an in-depth review of the publication of Taser data and other use of force by officers, as well as information on how officers deploy their powers, who they are used on and what the outcome was.

The call for an accurate and consistent approach to national use of force data collation was echoed by a number of partner and stakeholder organisations. In addition, the ministerial-led Independent Advisory Group for Deaths in Custody also published concerns in this respect and recommended prompt NPCC action to rectify these shortcomings.

Assistant Chief Constable, Jeremy Vaughan said: “Recording use of force is a great step forward for South Wales Police.

Transparent, rich data, which shows the rational and tactics used during the deployment of force, improves public confidence.

“We will also be able to prepare you for your role, by better understanding the risks that you face whilst on duty.

Following a series of national programme boards a recommendation was made for a select number of forces were selected to participate in a pilot to monitor and record all occurrences force is applied during operational policing.

“The data will also assist investigations into complaints made against police and protect the reputation of South Wales Police.

As of the 1st April 2017, completing a use of force record is mandatory for all police officers and requires an annual data update to be made to the Home Office.

“Use of force monitoring is now part of our daily business so remember, if you have used force, please complete a use of force form

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FEATURE

AS AN ORGANISATION, WE MUST BE TRANSPARENT AND FULLY COMPLIANT WITH POLICY IN RELATION TO THE USE OF FORCE.

"

via the web application on connect or your mobile device. This will provide us with the ability to review past incidents, reflect on the tactics used and improve our deployment, training and issue of personal protective equipment to ensure that you can continue to ‘Keep South Wales Safe’.”

Chief Superintendent Dorian Lloyd, Professional Standards Department, said: “As an organisation, we must be transparent and fully compliant with policy in relation to the use of force."

“It is vitally important that all staff remember to submit the use of force form every occasion force is used against a member of the public.

“Recording the use of force by submitting the relevant documentation is essential and assists the organisation in providing detailed information in respect of the level and scale of threat faced by officers and staff on a daily basis.”

The recording of use of force is fully supported and championed by the South Wales Police Federation.

ACC Vaughan continued: “Completing a form takes a matter a minutes, it will allow for lessons to

"

be learnt so we can give officers the best training and resources possible to keep South Wales safe.

“Remember, if you have used force, accurately complete a use of force record as soon as practicable.

“If you have any question or concerns please come forward and share them.”

The benefits to the organisation of accurately recording use of force is:

n Accurate and consistent use of force data

n Greater transparency

n Ability to show who and why force used upon

n Allow for meaningful comparison of the effectiveness of techniques and tactics

n Greater data collected on injuries will provide further evidence of the most suitable tactics for different scenarios our officers face.

n Consistent approach to recording and enable meaningful analysis by the police and public.

n Help improve public trust and confidence

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BILLBOARD SPRING 2017 19

FEATURE

PRE-BAIL CHANGES April saw changes to the law concerning Pre-Charge Bail came into force; a development which introduced a presumption in favour of releasing a suspect without bail, with bail only being imposed when it is both necessary and proportionate.

The issue of prolonged pre-charge bail came public attention when it emerged that those under investigation as part of Operation Yewtree (investigation into historical sexual abuse) had been kept on precharge bail for months, often years, with the vast majority eventually being released without charge. In response, the Home Office carried consultation which resulted in package of reforms which aim to limit the amount of time a suspect could be kept on police bail without the approval of a senior officer and eventually a magistrates’ court.

Assistant Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said: “The introduction of such a significant change in the law has meant that we’ve also needed to make significant changes to operational process.

To make sure we were ready, a project team was set the task of interpreting the guidance available and determining what this meant for us, as well as ensuring the necessary process changes were implemented and communicated in advance of go-live (April 3rd) They didn’t disappoint and I along with the rest of the Chief Officer team, are very grateful to all those involved for their hard work and commitment.

First Bail Application made under New Legislation.

The subject had been arrested for a Dwelling Burglary and was bailed with conditions following CPS advice under the new legislation.

Why was bail required?

To allow forensic work to be completed within an agreed timescale following CPS advice

Reasons for bail conditions.

The challenge now, is to ensure all The risk the subject posed to the officers understand what this means community due to his prolific for you, for victims, for offenders and offending behaviour and to ensure the communities we serve. It’s also he returned to custody at the vitally important that you receive the appointed time. support you need to effectively Feedback on the process: apply this new learning during your working day.

“The process was actually quite simple. The Custody Sergeant and This new process is undoubtedly Inspector where supportive, and the going to take some getting used to, pro-forma leads you through the so if you have any questions, questions you need to answer. It was concerns or queries, please raise much like a remand application.” them, either directly with your supervising officers or with a Detective Constable Laura Whiteman. member of the Bail Team.

They will be happy to help you.”

Inspector Richard Moorcroft, DC Laura Whiteman and Custody Sgt Kevin Richards, following the release of the first conditional bail under the new act.

Pre Charge Bail – Your Questions Answered Call 27750 or 27751. Out of Hours call 27071

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For more information please visit Connect and click on the Pre Charge Bail icon

FEATURE

Lets Go Agile!

Headquarters Development:

April saw the moves back into HQ continue, as the development of the main building reaches its final stages.

This phase of the move will see departments where the majority of the staff have been allocated a ‘flexible” workstyle, taking up residence in their new open plan workzones, starting with Corporate Communications.

To find out where each department is located or will be shortly, you just need to check the HQ floorplans which can be found on the Fusion website.

What is Agile Working?

Agile working is about providing staff with the flexibility to work in ways which best suit their needs and the needs of the organisation, without defining where given tasks need to be undertaken. A worker categorised as flexible can undertakes work in a variety of locations and whilst they will need access to a desk and storage this can be achieved in a shared space. A flexible worker is likely to have to leave the office environment to attend meetings and does not rely on regular interaction with a supervisor or force systems all of the time.

Commenting on this new way of working, Communications Officer Sion Ffrancon said: “The new building is really impressive. The Communications

Department is based on the third floor which is bright modern and practical. The technology upgrade we’ve received also gets a big thumbs up from the whole team.

For me personally, having the option to work Agile is the biggest positive. Achieving a good work-life balance can be a challenge for many of us, so even just knowing you have the option to plan your day to in a way that works better for you and for the organisation is a real plus.

Anything that reduces hassle and helps save time and money can only be good thing.”

To find out more about the Fixed, Field and Flexible project please visit the Fusion website on Connect.

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FEATURE

Facial

Recognition South Wales Police has teamed up with market leader NEC to formally pilot facial recognition technology during the Champions League Finals week in Cardiff.

We will be deploying NEC’s RealTime solution to enable trained officers to monitor the movement of people at strategic locations in and around the city centre. Up to 12 camera positions will be established (four mobile vans and eight fixed locations) to identify people who exist on pre-determined watch lists.

Each watch list includes wanted and missing persons, persons of interest and any potential suspects.

The NEC Real-Time solution offers the ability to detect faces in a crowd and determine whether any match those on a watch list. If there is a match the system alerts each camera operator who then compare the two images side by side on a screen (the detected face and stored image) before accepting or rejecting them as a true match. If considered a match an immediate decision will be sought through the command structure on the most appropriate police response.

Inspector Scott Lloyd, Fusion Lead for Facial Recognition said: “Like fingerprinting, facial recognition is a form of identification that allows a computer to quickly match similar faces based on facial features.”

South Wales will be the first force in the UK to use this brand new cutting edge technology out in the field. As such this is an extremely high profile pilot with much interest from the Centre of Applied Science and Technology (CAST) and Home Office Biometrics (HOB) as they work with us to determine the role of

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Automated Facial Recognition in a future policing model.

Following a successful trial of the Real-Time solution the expectation is that a Slow-Time solution will also be piloted comparing unknown persons captured by sources such as CCTV with the 500,000 custody images currently stored on Niche RMS. It is hoped this will prove valuable in assisting slower time investigations by seeing if there are any potential matches.

Inspector Lloyd added: “The technology will enable us to search, scan and monitor images and video of suspects against offender databases, leading to the faster and more accurate identification of persons of interest. The facial recognition technology can also enhance our existing CCTV network in the future by extracting faces in real time and instantaneously matching them against a watch list of individuals, including missing people.”

So how does it work?

Facial recognition technology aims to identify or authenticate individuals by comparing their face against a database of known faces and looking for a match. The process can be broken down into 3 very general steps. First, the computer must find the face in the image. It then creates a numeric representation of the face based on the relative position, size and shape of facial features. Finally, this numeric ‘map’ of the face in the

image is compared to database images of identified faces, for example, a driver’s license database.

The technology can be used in both public safety and national security environments, such as identifying individuals during a riot, or maintaining the security of high traffic places such as Cardiff Airport and our Welsh sports stadiums.

Facial recognition technology is increasingly a part of security measures at large sporting events and was used in London for the 2012 Olympic Games to keep watch for identified suspects. We will be introducing the technology prior to the Champions League being held in Cardiff.

Evidence Management

FEATURE

New Evidence Management processes have been introduced over the past six months to make sure the handling, safeguarding and return of property is as efficient and effective as it possibly can be.

To help ensure all officers, staff and PCSOs are fully aware of the steps and checks they need to take throughout the process, comprehensive guidance (along with a series of ‘Know How’ screencasts) has been created and published within the Knowledge Portal within Connect.

The Forces’ EMU campaign has focused on two areas over the past few months – ‘Not in Store’ and the new ‘Packaging Standards’.

Not In Store ‘Not in Store’ items are items of evidential property which should have been received at the EMU but which remain outstanding with their location unknown. These items are classed as missing.

All items should be received at the EMU within six days, with the exception of refused exhibits or those items on the ‘officer collection’ shelf.

Local interim store staff will check for all exhibits to ensure they are transferred to the EMU. If the items cannot be located in the interim store they are moved electronically on Niche to the ‘Not in Store’

location. Information listing missing items is reported back to BCUs and management on a regular basis.

care is used in dealing with all matters covered by our the new Packaging Standards Policy, which lays down the procedures to be followed.

Introduction of new Packaging “We appreciate that packaging, Standards for property We take temporary possession of thousands of items of property in the course of investigating crime and conducting other policing and public protection duties. Many, are items of evidence supporting the prosecution of offenders. The Force is committed to applying certain legal, operational and other standards to the management of all items of evidential property in the possession of police.

Chief Inspector Jason James explains: “It is important that as a Force we have an effective property management system that ensures all property is secured appropriately, correctly identified and all movement tracked. The correct handling of property is vital to the efficiency and good reputation of South Wales Police. It is in the interest of all staff handling property that great

labelling and generating inventories of evidence can be extremely time consuming however it is essential to verifying the integrity and continuity of the evidence and adds to the value of the evidence in court.”

The Packaging Standards Policy is designed to safeguard the integrity of evidence to support the prevention and detection of crime, and also to improve victim care and public confidence by ensuring property is returned to its rightful owners as soon as possible.

Any officer packaging property must consider: n The evidential integrity and continuity of the item

n Prevention of loss of the item or any part of it

n Prevention of damage to the item n Secure packaging, including approved knife tubes and sharps boxes, to prevent interference and cross contamination

n The use of appropriate hazard warning tape (e.g. biohazard, irritant)

n Where an item may cause injury to anyone needing to handle the item (e.g. knives, firearms, sharps etc.) that packaging is robust and appropriate for transit and storage

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FEATURE

e final

Countdown In June, the eyes on the world will be on South Wales, as Cardiff hosts the most-watched sporting event in the world – the UEFA Champions League Final.

While some of the finest football teams in the world have been battling it out for a place in the June 3rd final at the National Stadium of Wales (the Principality Stadium will be temporarily renamed for the event), South Wales Police has been fine-tuning preparations for what will be the largest security operation ever staged by the force.

And Operation Draig Goch will be no mean feat.

With more than 170,000 people expected to be in Cardiff for the day of the men’s final alone, the demand on the force – which will also need to maintain business as usual – will be greater than ever.

The influx of an unprecedented levels of foreign football fans and VIPs to what will be the smallest city ever to host the tournament, coupled with the current global climate, means the current security level remains at severe and the force must plan for all eventualities.

Though leave is restricted due to the immense demand, there is much for officers and staff to look forward to, as the event will provide an opportunity for people to be involved in a variety of roles during what will be a busy week-long

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programme events, which will also include the women’s final and a Festival Zone.

Chief Superintendent Jon Edwards, Gold Commander for the event, said: “As you would expect, an event of this magnitude requires a large scale safety and security operation which has been in the planning along with our partners for months.

“We will be welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to our capital city and we want them to be able to look back on their experience with great memories of their visit to Wales.

“With around 170,000 people expected to be in Cardiff for the final, the demand on the force will be greater than ever”

FEATURE

“As well as the challenges of an influx of international visitors to Cardiff, we also need to consider the impact this event will have on the people who live, work and travel in and around Cardiff and the significant impact this event will have on them.”

“In the coming weeks we will keep you updated on the impact that this operation will have on the force and each and every one of you as police officers and staff.

“The spotlight will be shining on Cardiff and it will once again give us the opportunity to showcase the way in which we police major events here in South Wales.”

Excitement about the event recently reached fever pitch in Bridgend, after the trophies which will eventually be held aloft by some of the world’s biggest footballing stars, found themselves locked in the cells, before being pictured with even the most reluctant of football fans.

And excitement and planning will continue in earnest over the coming weeks to ensure we are able to demonstrate the very best in

policing to a global audience, while keeping those living and visiting south Wales as safe as possible during what is set to be an unforgettable week.

Keep up-todate: Our Operation Draig Goch section on Connect is now up and running and will be continually updated with developments, news and important operational information in the coming weeks, and everyone is encouraged to check back regularly.

A comprehensive round-up of information provided by us and our partners, including the Football Association of Wales (FAW), Cardiff Council, Welsh Government, Arriva Trains Wales, and others can also be found on the purpose-built website, Cardiff 2017

www.cardiff2017.wales

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BILLBOARD SPRING 2017 25

FEATURE

ABUSE OF POWER The worst betrayal of the ultimate trust

‘if you see something, say something’, and already the Anti-Corruption Unit has seen an increase in reports from across the Force.

Chief Superintendent Dorian Most of our officers and staff Individuals who should be able to Lloyd, Head of Professional trust us implicitly and who we conduct their duties with the Standards, said: utmost honesty and integrity, and should be doing evrything we “Thank you for engaging with us can to protect. are careful to ensure that they to help end this wrongdoing. maintain a purely professional ACC Jeremy Vaughan said: ”By reporting your concerns you relationship with the members of “Tackling abuse of power and are giving us the opportunity to their local community that they predatory sexual behaviour is intervene earlier, to protect come into contact with every day. the highest priority for the vulnerable people, and prevent But sadly, we know that there are police service and our prolonged abuse to a greater a small number of people within professional standards team, as number of victims.” our organisation who are preying well as being a national priority Staff and officers do not need to upon individuals for sexual gain. of the Independent Police be certain of their suspicions but Targeting community members Complaints Commission. you are expected to raise that they have come into contact “It will not be tolerated.” concerns, as this allows the Antiwith through their police role, and The key campaign message was who are often vulnerable people.

Corruption Unit to assess the

Our Professional Standards Department recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of abuse of police power, and how colleagues can help end this form of corruption.

WHAT IS ABUSE OF POWER? Standard of Professional Behaviour 2 Authority, Respect and Courtesy: “...I will use my powers and authority lawfully and proportionately, and will respect the rights of all individuals."

Think…

Is the officer being requested by first name?

Are they having contact on social media?

Is an officer’s personal mobile phone number or email address known to the individual?

Is the officer showing disproportionate interest in attending domestic incidents or calls involving vulnerable persons?

Is the officer regularly missing for periods of time whilst on duty or prefers to work single crewed?

Have you noticed an officer using inappropriate language or behaviour when dealing with a vulnerable female?

ABUSE OF POWER – REPORT IT TO STOP IT!

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FEATURE information received against As a result, officers and staff who other data available and establish turned a blind eye or if further investigation is required. downplayed the seriousness of this behaviour, lost their jobs.

Chief Superintendent Lloyd “Please don’t put yourself at continues: risk, please report abuse of “Failing to challenge and report power. Remember you do the wrongdoing of a colleague not need to be certain, just can have implications for you. concerned.”

“In previous cases it has come to Call the Confidential Reporting light that an individual’s Line:  02920 571 599 or email wrongdoing or inappropriate * ACUHQ@southrelationship was common wales.pnn.police.uk knowledge amongst the team they worked with.

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BILLBOARD SPRING 2017 27

FEATURE

The community policing message that’s ‘gone national’ We all know that South Wales Police is great at community policing, but it’s even better when visitors see us performing at our very best.

the Liberty Stadium some of these measures include improvised hostile vehicle mitigation measures together with the overt presence of armed firearms officers on event days.

And although this happens constantly across the force area, it is especially evident at our Premier League games in Swansea when our customer service is on display on a national level.

These measures all contribute to helping keep supporters, who are our community, safe.

The way we police the game has changed. With resources across the Force reduced in recent years we are now making more effective use of specialist resources including such skills as public order teams, search teams and firearms teams together.

This, together with an increased use of social media, highlights how different the approach is from only a few years ago.

One fan said: “I attended the Swansea v Arsenal game yesterday with my son and I would like to compliment your force on the way you policed the game. Your officers are a credit to your force.”

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In addition, South Wales Police also boasts it very own Dedicated Football Officers (DFOs) who are responsible for day to day planning activities connected to the Policing of Football events. The DFOs works closely with our partners including Swansea City FC and the Swansea Stadium Management Company Ltd.

What is our Policing Style for football events?

Policing of football is now no different to the way we police our communities with an emphasis on a community style policing with positive neighbourhood engagement.

In light of the current terrorism threat around crowded places, major sporting events and iconic venues the force has introduced a number of measures to deter such activity. At

Another fan tweeted: “Armed police have been in and around the stadium for a couple of months. They are there to protect us in this current climate and we should be thankful for them be so brave for doing it.”

The City of Swansea and the Liberty Stadium has an excellent reputation internationally for hosting sporting and concert events, and the effective management of Premier League matches further showcases that status.

In addition, a recent Hansard report, which are the transcripts of Parliamentary debates, mentioned the community style of policing that we implement. The then Shadow Policing Minister Jack Dromey talked

MUSEUM about his personal experience when joining match day officers and saying, ‘they are rooted within their community and Jason, Steve and Joe* do a first class job’

How it all began

The team were also praised following their support given to a lifelong Manchester City supporter who came to Swansea in the 2015/16 season, on what was probably going to be his last away trip due to ill health. He and his family were given the full VIP treatment including arriving at the Liberty Stadium in convoy with outriders and the team coach.

Billboard welcomes its first guest contributer, Tony Peters, a volunteer for the Glamorgan Archives.

The family were so impressed with the experience they wrote a heartfelt letter to the Police Football Liaison team thanking them for what was ‘an amazing and overwhelming experience’.

The feedback received and referred to highlights how effective the bestpractice policing model is.

Effective partnership working was also highlighted following the recent and successful prosecution of Allan John Thomas, 36 – and subsequent three-year banning order issued by Swansea Magistrates Court.

In addition to sending out a clear message that racism will not be tolerated in the community – it also highlighted that this type of behaviour has no place at football matches.

Tony tells the story of the formation of the Glamorgan Constabulary, a predecessor force of South Wales Police.

“I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lady the Queen and the office of the Constable for the County of Glamorgan”. e Glamorgan Constabulary celebrated the 175th anniversary of its formation in 2016. Many of the papers related to the establishment of the force and its long history are held at Glamorgan Archives. e records provide a detailed insight into the formation and development of the force since 1841, and a window on life in south Wales in the latter half of the 19th century and the 20th century.

It is a moot point as to when the constabulary was first formed. Arguably it dates from the appointment of the first Chief Constable, Charles Frederick Napier, on 11 August 1841. More realistically the force was formed with the swearing in of the initial batch of recruits at Bridgend Town Hall on the 23 October 1841. e original documentation used at the swearing in ceremony is held at Glamorgan Archives. It was used both to administer the oath and to record the signatures of the recruits. e ceremony was overseen by the Chief Constable, Capt.

Charles Napier, the four recently appointed Superintendents and local magistrates. e document would have been handed to each man who was then required to take the oath, inserting his name in the first line.

Each man then signed the record. Although Napier had secured funding for 34 Sergeants and Constables only 30 were present on that day and the force was brought up to strength through further recruits sworn in and recorded on the same document over the following weeks. All the recruits signed their name suggesting that, rather than simply using a mark, a common practice in this period, they had basic skills in reading and writing. e record has also been signed by Napier and the four superintendents, Lewis, Davies, Leveson- Gower and Peake, probably on 19 October, 4 days before the Bridgend ceremony.

Chief Inspector Stephen Jones said: “Thanks to effective stewarding, policing and crucial support from other Swansea City supporters all involved continue to show a commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour and hate crime.

“We are proud of the achievements that our Dedicated Football Officers have accomplished, which further showcases our capability to provide a community style of policing that is fit-for-purpose, yields results and resonates with the public we serve.”

It is thought that there are no surviving photographs of the ceremony. However, it is reasonable to assume that the 30 men would have been an impressive group given that recruitment drew, primarily, from ex-servicemen well versed in military drill.

*Hansard Report: PC Jason Gibbs, CI Stephen Jones and Chief Inspector Joe Jones.

To read Tony’s article in full please visit www.glamorganarchives.wordpress.com Chief Constable Charles Napier

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SPORTS & SOCIAL

Iron Man beats personal best! e invincible iron man in this story isn’t a fictional superhero but a real sporting hero as Sergeant Richard Gardiner beats his personal best in the Iron Man Wales triathlon competition, running, swimming and cycling over 140 miles in just over 10 hours. ose competing are awarded the title of Ironman if, within the strict time limit of 17 hours, they managed to complete a 2.4mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and marathon run of 26.22miles - raced in that order and without a break.

It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.

Tenby is the only place in Wales to host the Ironman competition and is now well established as having one of the most challenging bike and run courses on the Ironman calendar, but as the man who holds the record for most Welsh marathon wins Richard is not afraid of a challenge.

But things changed for Richard Gardner when

he thought he had to turn in his running shoes after 32 years of experience as an International distance runner when at the age of 39 he was injured.

Richard said: “It was my wife who made me realise it was time for a change when she told me to quit after being beaten by some youngsters, she was right, and it was she who also signposted me towards triathlons.

“Now I spend more time training than when I did as a runner as there are more disciplines.

Perhaps that was her idea all along!”

If ever he needed proof that this wasn’t the case, and that his family are totally supportive, we can take a look at his wife Rhianydd’s Facebook post following his Ironman

challenge, “After yesterday’s performance in Ironman Wales, Team Gardiner are so proud that Richard Gardiner has had a call up for the GB team to run in Denmark for his age category and in the world championships in Hawaii. Well done!!!! amazing to represent GB not just in athletics but now in triathlon”

Times: 2.4 mile swim 56.46 minutes 112 miles bike ride 5hrs 51 minutes 44 seconds 26.2 miles run (Marathon) 3hrs 12 mins 01 seconds Overall time: 10 hours 11 minutes and 02 seconds.

Cycle ride raises £10,000 for Freedom Heroes charity Ordinary men leading ordinary lives do something extraordinary and raise an outstanding – £10,000 for their little heroes who live on the streets of Kampala in Uganda.

A team of 12 men met at Freedom Church Hereford and led by Superintendent Jim Dyson became a team whose combined spokes cycled 503 miles from Swansea to Rotterdam in just four days.

provided with the opportunity to go onto higher education or onto vocational training.

e charity focuses on supporting boys living on the streets of Kampala and provides food, medical care, education, housing and support to over 100 children living on the streets.

Where possible the charity will also reunite these street children with their families (close unit or wider) - unlike common assumption not all street children are orphans. Poverty, displacement, loss and even the simplicity of getting lost in Kampala can mean that a child ends up on the street.

e charity has a house for 16 children to call home, where they are loved and cared for. As they become older, they are

Jim says that for him, the realisation of the seriousness of the situation these boys were in dawned upon him as he

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watched over 70 boys arrive at street church on Sunday afternoon. He says: “I couldn’t believe how many boys turned up, some were as young as seven and they had nothing but a pair of shorts to their name. I just couldn’t help but compare these children with my own, they are similar ages, yet I had to watch these boys walk off to sleep on the streets with nothing and meanwhile knowing that there were thousands of other children in the same situation.”

If you want to get involved, want to learn more please contact Jim Dyson.

LETTERS & FEEDBACK

&

Letters SPatrick Provis @patrickProvis I would like to thank SWP for the drink driving initiative last night in Ton Pentre, keeping road users and pedestrians safe!

Michelle Clark @michelle_c1976, @swprhondda I want to say a well done to the fast response - when we were worried about our neighbour. Thanks!

Feedback

Joint policing operation Christmas spirit South Wales Police formed part of the policing operation to maintain the peace at the highly anticipated football match, Cardiff City v Bristol City.

Due to the exemplary work carried out a letter of thanks from Avon and Somerset Constabulary has been received. “ank you for your excellent work and considerable expertise around football policing, the force has helped dent the Bristol City risk groups capability to engage in disorder for some considerable years.”

Inspector Rob Millican HQ Operational Planning Avon and Somerset Constabulary

ank you PSC Some people don't appreciate the work some have to do to protect our valleys, where would you be without our police if you ever needed them?

“

”

Unnamed resident (Northern BCU)

Sudoku Challenge

e female operator on 101 was absolutely amazing with taking all the details and dealing with the call. She made me feel very comfortable for reporting the incident and put me at ease that I did the right thing reporting it. She reassured me and said she had an autistic child herself and so was very understanding and the whole situation was made very easy. e way the officers dealt with my son stood out to me. He's only 11 and as he is autistic the thought of the police coming to the house was very scary for him.

However the police made him feel very much at ease and made him feel comfortable.

Rebecca was the police officer who came out and took photographs of him and took his statement. She had a very nice and calm manner. I also liked the fact that only one officer came to the house so it wasn't as overwhelming for my son.

Officers from the Merthyr hub who donated money to help buy Christmas presents for a domestic abuse victim received significant praise on social media. e officers investigated an allegation of coercive and controlling behaviour, where by the victim’s partner had been controlling all aspects of her life. e suspect who was charged and remanded for a number of offences also had refused the victim access to funds to buy Christmas presents for their two children.

On hearing that the children, who live in the Taff area, would not be having any presents Sergeant Ruth Davies along with officers from the station made donations and presented the family with two large sacks of presents and a BMX bike. eir actions were shared over 400 times on the Northern Facebook account, attracted over 2,000 likes and over 100 positive comments.

is is one of the many examples of officers going beyond the call of duty to protect and safeguard victims and their families.

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PCSOs Hit the Headlines... and finally...

Two of our PCSOs hit the headlines for helping to save a baby’s life.

PCSOs Christopher Medlicott and Annie Harris were on patrol in Aberdare town centre when they were alerted to 17 month old Amelia Thomas choking.

Chris, who is now joining the force as a PC, and Annie, who was only a few weeks into her role, grasped the situation, providing first aid and managed to get Amelia breathing again.

Their story made ITV News and local papers in the days before Christmas and attracted positive comments on the Northern Facebook account.

PCSO Medlicott said: “We were in the shop next door when a civil enforcement officer came in and

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shouted a baby is choking. We ran into the shop and I was passed Amelia who I patted on the back a few times and could then see she had started breathing again.

“While I was doing this Annie called for support and helped keep the baby’s mother calm.”

The pair were assisted by civil enforcement officers and a first responder making saving Amelia’s life a real partnership approach!

Inspector Rob Blunt said: “I am extremely proud of my staff who were able to deal with a very stressful and unexpected situation with pure professionalism.

“I believe Chris has shown the skills which will make him an excellent officer and Annie has demonstrated how she is already an asset to the force and the Cynon sector.”