BILLBOARD The magazine for South Wales Police people • SUMMER 2017
IN THIS ISSUE...
FIELD LAPTOPS ON TRIAL FACIAL RECOGNITION GOES LIVE AWARDS SHORTLIST REVEALED
CONTENTS SUMMER 2017
The magazine for South Wales Police people
IN EVERY ISSUE 3
From the Chief
30
Sports & Social
4-13
News
31
Letters & Feedback
28-29
Museum
32
and finally...
FEATURES pages 14-27 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!
14-15
Officers from South Wales Police have earned praise for their work following terrorist incidents
20-21
Billboard looks back at the biggest policing operation South Wales Police has undertaken
Contact us
16-17
Officers take part in the Unity Tour across the country to ride in memory of those who died on duty
22
Headquarters Update: With the new building nearing completion Billboard has the latest news on its progress
18-19
Billboard looks at the implications of the Welsh language standards that have been introduced
27
Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) goes live – revolutionising how we identify suspects
Editor: Paul Fisher......................... 20763 Picture desk: Marc Saunders.... 20838 News team: Rhodri Kendall................................20863 Anthony Topazio (Western)...... 50757 Anna Hammond (Eastern)..........34951 Ceri Doyle (Northern)................. 40760 Andrew George (Central)............ 27216 Juliet Gardner (HQ)......................20287 Coral Cole (HQ).............................. 20816 Carly Yeates (HQ)......................... 20845 Carys Lewis (HQ)............................20761 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!
‘‘
it has been a great honour to be part of south wales police
’’
Just as Billboard was going to press, Matt Jukes was appointed to succeed Peter Vaughan as our next Chief Constable.
The appointment of DCC Jukes was endorsed by the South Wales Police and Crime Panel following a rigorous selection process led by Commissioner Alun Michael.
Since we last went to print, I announced my retirement from policing after eight years in post as Chief Constable of South Wales Police and a policing journey that started in 1984. I can’t believe that the time has gone so quickly, I only hope the next 33 years go so much more slowly! It has been a great honour to be part of South Wales Police, to have worked alongside so many colleagues and friends. In my time I have had the opportunity to work across the whole of the force area in many different roles and ranks and experiencing the warmth and support of our communities. Some of our finest officers and staff will be recognised at the 2017 Annual Awards ceremony which is being held at the Brangwyn Hall on 12th October and in this edition you can read about all those who have been nominated for recognition. Over the summer we have said farewell to some exceptional, longserving officers who I thank for their dedication to the job and wish them all a long and happy retirement. I’m sure you shared my sadness at the passing of Constable Mike Evans – a truly inspirational character who, despite a long period of ill health, continued to raise thousands of pounds for charity. You can read more about his remarkable story in this edition of Billboard. You can also read about the fantastic efforts of a group of more than 50 riders from South Wales,
Gwent and Dyfed Powys cycled 200 miles from Brecon to the National Arboretum in Staffordshire to raise awareness and money for COPS (Care of Police Survivors). This charity supports the families of officers who have died in active service. The tragic events in London earlier this year highlighted the dangers facing police officers and the need to support this charity for those left behind. I have been so proud to hear of the work of our officers who have been involved in the investigations and family support following the tragedies at Westminster Bridge, Manchester Arena and London Bridge, as well as the horrifying Grenfell Tower fire. In addition to the above this edition of Billboard showcases some of the fantastic work being done a day-in, day-out to keep the communities of South Wales safe. This will be the last time I’ll be writing in Billboard and I just want to reiterate my thanks to you all. I am so proud of you and the service we provide to people who live in and visit our area. South Wales Police now have a very strong and recognisable ‘brand’, we are renowned nationally for our positive connection with the communities we serve, for the way we engage with the victims of crime, for our visibility and our use of technology. I do think that I have had the best job in the world serving the best communities, with the best people, thank you all so much.
Peter Vaughan Chief Constable
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NEWS
Tackling county lines criminality Key frontline officers and staff recently attended a practitioner’s workshop on county lines criminality. e workshop aimed to raise awareness of the threat from organised crime groups to our local communities, and provide tools and tactics to tackle the drug dealing and exploitation perpetrated by these urban gangs. Presentations included a national perspective on county lines from the NCA, an overview of the situation in South Wales, Daisy, a former gang member’s input on life within an urban street gang (pictured), an overview of the powers available to officers to tackle this crime, and the intervention and diversion methods employed to prevent offending and reoffending. e workshop was also an opportunity to launch Operation Guardian, the overarching brand for county lines, designed to emphasise our commitment to protecting vulnerable people. ACC Jon Drake said: “A long term enforcement campaign is central to tackling county lines criminality and operational teams will continue to pursue organised crime groups for the drug dealing and violence they perpetrate. However, our number one priority is to identify the vulnerable adults and children coerced and forced into committing crime by gang members, and to put measures in place that protect not punish them.
“Instead, we want to hold the more senior gang members to account for their exploitation of vulnerable people, achieving convictions for offences including human trafficking and CSE. “By working together with partner agencies and taking this holistic and robust approach, I believe we can make South Wales a hostile environment for organised crime groups, thereby preventing all forms of harm associated with these enterprises.” Find out more about Operation Guardian by visiting the Team Space on Bob.
Policing with Pride Held on the 25th – 27th August 2017, Pride Cymru represents operational policing and community engagement working together. Supported by officers, staff and volunteers from within the organisation, this year’s Pride celebrations were a success with our partners joining the celebration as we continue to police this event with pride. During the event, Chief Superintendent Belinda Davies, number 15 on the Pinc List; the top 40 most influential LGBT figures within Wales said: “Celebrating diversity and inclusivity is
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something that happens throughout South Wales on a daily basis. Within South Wales Police we pride ourselves on our commitment to championing equality for all. Pride Cymru allows the world to see that, Cardiff and the rest of Wales can come together and celebrate our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. South Wales Police LGBT network also unveiled its new Pride car which was a
key part of the Pride Parade, the car acts as a visual reminder to the communities of South Wales our commitment to supporting and projecting the LGBT communities of South Wales .
NEWS
Working towards a representative workforce – how can you help? As an organisation South Wales Police is committed to being the best at understanding our communities. To achieve this we are working towards becoming a more representative workforce by attracting more BAME applicants to apply for posts within the force. e central Representative Workforce team (RWF), working with local BCU champions, undertake a lot of activity in this area, but all officers and staff can help us attract and retain candidates from our BAME communities. If during your interactions with the public you become aware of someone from our minority communities who has shown an interest in joining the force please complete the form on Bob (with their permission) to pass on their details directly to the RWF team. You can find the form by searching ‘workforce’ in the main search field and then under the ‘Quicklinks’ section the form is entitled ‘Submit the details of someone who is interested in joining the force’. e form, which officers and staff can access via their desktop or Samsung is short and to the point. It takes about one
minute to complete and once the details are received by the RWF team, the individual will be contacted directly and offered appropriate support and advice about forthcoming recruitment campaigns and opportunities. It’s as simple as that - thank you in advance for any assistance. If you require any additional information about the work of the RWF team are you are interested in becoming a Development Champion visit the RWF page on Bob or alternatively contact Sergeant Rhys Gronow on 70575 or email rhys.gronow@south-wales.pnn.police.uk
Youth Trust cash benefits communities Local policing officers have been fundamental in improving the lives of young people thanks to over £22,500 worth of cash awarded by South Wales Police Youth Trust. A multi-agency local initiative in Llanedeyrn and Pentwyn benefitted from a £3,000 grant to tackle the concerns that residents had expressed about local motorcycle annoyance and dangerous driving in the area. e project ran over a six-week period and targeted local motocross riders aged between 11 and 25 and aimed to divert them away from crime and anti-social behaviour. Sector Support Officer Carly Hart said: “e feedback that we had from the young people has been overwhelming in praise. Each and every person thoroughly enjoyed the course and I am pleased to say that ASB in the area has reduced considerably as a result of the project.”
Another application for £3,000 submitted by PCSOs James Page and Natasha Foster was awarded for the Woodlands and Us Project to tackle grass fires in Rhondda, which have reduced dramatically since the initiative was undertaken. If you think a local project might benefit from receiving a grant or for more information on fund raising for the trust contact Sue Poole on ext. 70314.
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NEWS
New scheme is the Best Bar None! Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael helped launch the Best Bar None scheme in Swansea – promoting the responsible management and operation of licensed premises in the city. e initiative, supported by the Home Office and the drinks industry, aims to show a town or city is a safe and vibrant place to enjoy the night-time economy. Licensed premises share best practice, positive relations are encouraged between authorities including the police, and responsible operation of bars is highlighted to demonstrate how it can improve businesses' profitability and a city or town's attractiveness. Swansea is believed to be the first in South Wales to have joined the UK-wide initiative. Dan Jones, Strategic Policy Lead (Violence Reduction & AntiSocial Behaviour) for the Police and Crime Commissioner, said Swansea licensees had already shown their commitment to schemes such as the purple flag accreditation, the Drink Less, Enjoy More campaign, and the Help Point.
And he added: “Best Bar None is another great opportunity for licensed premises in Swansea to create positive relationships and demonstrate responsible management. e scheme will bring increased professionalism and safety into the city centre, with pubs and bars working with our licensing officers, Swansea Business Improvement District and the local authority to create a safer environment in which customers can enjoy an evening out. Hopefully, as the scheme evolves, more and more venues will join the scheme – leading to a much safer, more vibrant city centre.” e scheme could soon be introduced elsewhere in South Wales.
Officer follows in her father’s collar number An officer has spoken of her pride at being assigned her late father’s force number – saying it’s like having him with her on duty. Tributes poured in for Mark Dicks after he died suddenly at the age of 53 earlier this year. He spent almost three decades in the police, initially in South Wales and then Gwent.
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His daughter Jemma, 25, fulfilled a childhood ambition by becoming a police officer like her father, and the duo used to joke about having the same force number – he in Gwent and she in South Wales. Following Mark’s tragic passing, Jemma asked whether that would be feasible. Such requests are usually not possible, but South Wales Police made an exception. “I was told it would be unlikely, but to leave it with them,” Jemma explained. “en I was told at the start of April that
it had been agreed. I was chuffed to bits. It means so much to me.” And so, since May 1, Jemma has been PC 1115. “It does feel like my dad is with me, in a sense,” she added. “What has happened is never going to go away, but this does help.”
NEWS
Super sleuth helps to catch criminal Sixteen year old Police Youth Volunteer Nakeia Davies didn’t expect to assist in an armed response arrest during a regular visit to her local One Stop store in Swansea. Nakeia called 999 after she received demands to leave by a man wielding a knife as he used a baseball bat to smash the shop’s merchandise.
all changed after she signed up to the Police Youth Volunteer scheme.
“I didn’t like it much at first,” she said, “I felt out of my depth, and some of my e 999 call handler testified to receiving family didn’t like me joining as they a clear description of the offender and didn’t think much of the police. But in clear report of the incident even down time and with thanks to Cheryl the to the length of the blade he carried. leader, I began to look forward to When the call handler asked Nakeia how attending every week, and my family began to encourage me to continue, and she remembered so much detail and are now even proud of my achievements. managed to remain so calm, she revealed her status as a Police Youth “Without joining the scheme I wouldn’t Volunteer. have had so many opportunities: To be a part of the Champions League Final in Nakeia explained how she didn’t pay much attention in school and frequently Cardiff or Operation Bang, to march at found herself in trouble, which she said, the Remembrance Parade or take part in
test purchasing operations. And now I am so excited to have been presented with a certificate from Assistant Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan (pictured) and a High Sherriff’s award!” If you would like to learn more about the Police Youth Volunteer scheme contact Inspector Jason Rees, ext. 34820.
Puppies on Patrol As part of a new programme within the Dogs and Mounted Section, the force has launched a puppy fostering and breeding programme. South Wales Police has a rich heritage of training and developing police dogs that go on to make a real difference throughout the country. For the first time in over 20 years the force has bred puppies to become police dogs of the future. e litter of six German Shepherd puppies were born on the 6th July 2017 from mother, Kihra and farther Zane. As part of the mutual arrangement with Greater Manchester Police, they were gifted one male puppy named Mako. e remaining puppies were then given their names through the power of social media, with over 650 members of our
community taking part in the vote, it was a resounding success. Names were all beginning with the letter “A” to show that this is the first litter within the programme. e names selected were Axel, Apollo, Arla, Astra and Ariel. As part of the breeding programme the force also commenced a fostering programme to allow officers and staff to take on the commitment of looking after these puppies up to the age of 14 months. e programme received over 40 applications and the successful applicants have now been paired with their puppies. Inspector Fran Williams said: “e reaction to the programme has been
fantastic, from within the organisation and outside. Starting back up a breeding programme has been a challenging but extremely rewarding venture. To know that our newest puppy recruits are joining not only the SWP family but are joining the families of our officers and staff. “is is just the beginning for the programme; we will shortly have a new litter to name and home. If you are interested please come forward.”
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NEWS
Lights, camera, action! Some of our senior officers were put through their paces in an intensive media training session. Presented by former BBC Wales chief reporter Penny Roberts and BBC producer Tony O’Shaunessey a number of testing scenarios were put to them.
ACCs Richard Lewis and Jeremy Vaughan and Chief Superintendents Jon Edwards and Dorian Lloyd were joined by temporary ACC Alun ‘Maxi’ omas from British Transport Police for a day-long programme which covered theory and several practical sessions where they were all grilled on camera by Penny Roberts. Subjects covered included modern slavery, counter terrorism, police corruption and drugs. ere were a few ‘low ball’ questions thrown in to take them all out of the comfort zones. Speaking afterwards Penny said: “I was very impressed with the professionalism of all five of the candidates. ey are certainly on top of their game and capable of representing the police service in the best possible light. “We did our best to put them on the spot, to make them feel uncomfortable and test their ability to think on their feet and each one of them accounted for themselves very professionally.”
Successes for online investigation team Our POLIT is now seeing the outcome of a number of operations with offenders convicted for possessing offensive pictures and videos of child abuse. Cases that have recently attracted media coverage include: Doctor who worked at one of Cardiff's largest GP surgeries had 16,000 indecent images of children - Dr Armon Daniels, who had been a GP for nearly 30 years had thousands of indecent images on his computer. Police worker had 2,000 sickening pictures and videos of child abuse - Ian Curtis worked for South Wales Police for 25 years and was found with more than 2,000 “grossly offensive” pictures and videos of child abuse. Killer who burned woman alive as she made cup of tea is back behind bars over child sex abuse images - A murderer who spent 17 years in prison is back behind bars after being caught with child sex abuse pictures. In August, two individuals were also sentenced for 20 and seven years respectively for sexually abusing members of their family,
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and it was the arrest and charge for possessing indecent images of children that triggered disclosure from the family member about the contact abuse against them. ese investigations were lead by the relevant BCU. DI Nick Bellamy said “ese investigations and convictions evidence the tenacity of the POLIT and BCU public protection teams to identify and pursue perpetrators of abuse, and to achieving our number one priority of protecting vulnerable people.” e work of the POLIT is supported by Operation Net Safe, where the four police forces in Wales are working together with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation who run the StopitNow! Campaign to end online child abuse and exploitation.
NEWS
Protecting our people on the front line Spit and bite guards were used for the first time in South Wales during the summer. e first deployment of the guards, designed to prevent police employees and other people from being assaulted, took place after an officer in Central Division was bitten. e force has a duty to protect its staff and subjects in its care from being exposed to risk. And the guards will be available to front-line officers as well as staff such as detention officers. Training demonstrates best practice for using the guards, and those using them have been reminded they must be able to justify its use in every case. ACC Jeremy Vaughan said: “Biting and spitting are highly unpleasant and being victim to it – and the potentially dangerous effects of any viruses it can transfer – is not something to which our staff and officers should be subjected. “Spit and bite guards are being introduced by the force to protect our staff and officers from being assaulted.
“Anyone who is issued with a spit and bite guard will have received the appropriate training and will only use them where absolutely necessary to protect themselves, their colleagues or other people.” Some other forces have already introduced the guards.
School sports day in officer’s memory A school sports tournament was held in memory of Police Constable Greg Rees, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Recognition for lifesaving officers ree officers have been recognised for their actions by St John Cymru Wales at a special investiture held at Llandaff Cathedral. PS Danielle Matthews, PC Nerys Reeve and PC Andrew Goodall were presented with Meritorious First Aid Certificates for their actions in saving the life of a man attempting suicide on the M4 Briton Ferry bridge last December. e event was also attended by Chief Constable Peter Vaughan and Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael.
e inaugural competition at Treuchaf Primary School involved boys and girls competing in rugby, football and netball and will now be held annually for the Greg Rees Shield. PS Phil Morris from Western Division said: “Greg’s eldest son attends this school and competed at the event. His teacher came up with this fitting tribute as Greg was a keen portsman. Greg’s wife and family were also at the event. “Western Division donated the Greg Rees shield to Treuchaf Primary School. We also donated 10 smaller shields to cover the next 10 years of this competition through to 2026." Local Policing Inspector Ralph Harris was at the event and presented the winners Gwyrosydd Primary School with their shield.
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NEWS
Giving victims a greater voice New anti-social behaviour victim satisfaction surveys have allowed the force to give victims the chance to have their voices heard – and ensure they remain firmly at the heart of the work we all do. anks to funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner's team, the force has been able to engage with increased numbers of victims of anti-social behaviour. Previously, victims of isolated or one-off cases of anti-social behaviour were interviewed. But the new funding has allowed the sample groups to be expanded to include instances of ongoing incidents and neighbour disputes. Increased amount of data gathered has helped ensure it is increasingly victim-focused – which in turn allows the force to improve services in future, playing a role in training as well as the formation of force policies. Previous surveys have shown that victims are overwhelmingly satisfied with the service we provide to ASB victims. Of those victims of ASB interviewed during the last six months, the survey found that 89.1% were satisfied with the whole experience, 97.9% were satisfied with the ease of contact, 95% with their treatment, 80.5% with the actions taken and 73.4% with the follow-up. Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner Bonnie Navarra said: "It is pleasing to see that such a high proportion of victims are satisfied with the follow-up service provided to them, but we recognise that there will always be work to be done – and these survey results are crucial in helping us understand where we can improve."
Police volunteers earn recognition e work of South Wales Police’s volunteers from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David was celebrated at an awards ceremony at the Dragon Hotel. e event recognised the contribution made by students from the university’s Public Services courses to local police initiatives, including the Swansea Help Point, and was attended by Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner Bonnie Navarra. e event recognised 10 students who have been part of the initiative since its inception in 2014.
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In total, 65 students have clocked up over 9,500 hours since June 2016, giving up their time to assist police with the management of the night time economy and crime prevention campaigns in Swansea. e Help Point was set up in September 2014. Notable successes based on a recent independent evaluation report, highlighted an 80 per cent reduction in Emergency Department attendances as a result of Swansea night time economy, 1,300 less ambulance attendances and cost savings of more than £650K split between all partners over 12 months. Bonnie Navarra said: “e Swansea Help Point is a fantastic initiative that helps us
to find a better way of addressing issues of violence and also allows us to work more effectively as a public service. It also means that we can achieve smarter outcomes. is basically means that the student contribution allows us as a public service to work more effectively, providing better outcomes for service users but also for the public services themselves. e commitment of the students has really enabled the service to run and their regular attendance, their commitment, and their professionalism has really taken us aback.”
NEWS
Hwyl Fawr Connect -
Croeso i
As a force we have embarked a big period of digital transformation through our Fusion programme and an important part of that was making sure all of us understand how digital can play a role in helping us do our jobs better. Connect was built was on a very inflexible and unsupported system, it had no relation to our brand and lacked social elements. We engaged with over 200 members of staff to find out what they needed from their intranet and really took on board their views and opinions to ensure we created and intranet that was right for everyone.
development took five months from installation to launch. New features include personalised homepages based on your location and role, so HR for example will see a different news stories to PCSOs. What is really important is that we are clear about how our work ties in to the Police and Crime Reduction Plan and the Delivery Plan.
We ran a competition to name the new intranet and it was decided it would be called Bob. Bob aims to change the way we work and think as a force, it is about being smarter with how we share information, perform daily tasks and become more efficient.
One of our aims with Bob is too see a reduction in the number of emails being sent across the force, we want to move any collaboration work, meetings and projects online. We want staff who are out and about to feel more engaged with the force, getting the information they need on the go.
We really wanted Bob to look to clean, simple and modern. e build and the
Communications Officer Carly Yeates, who worked on the Bob project team, said:
“With over 5,000 staff spread across over 800 square miles it’s easy to feel out of the social loop. We want staff to stay connected through Bob, share good news, tell us you’re running a marathon or post a useful Ipatrol tip. Bob is about embracing the Team SWP spirit. “We hope that the introduction of Bob will really boost staff, with the old intranet we used it because we had to but now we hope with Bob they will use it because they want to.”
PCSO ramps up the fun A ‘pack-away’ skate and scooter park has launched in Maesteg thanks to the determination of PCSO Julie Banks and the very children who are set to benefit from it. PCSO Banks joined forces with local youngsters to raise hundreds of pounds to buy high-quality, all-weather ramps to help keep local children occupied and active, and cut down on anti-social behaviour. Following a sponsored car wash at Nantyffyllon Fire Station and a cycle-athon at the town’s Tesco, the coffers of the RAMP fund were given a welcome boost after PCSO Banks scooped the Community Shrievalty Cup at South Wales Police’s 2016 Annual Awards. Part of her prize was £500 awarded by the Glamorgan High Sheriffs, to go towards the project.
e group were also lucky enough to receive match-funding from e Garnwen Trust and the continued support of Maesteg Leisure Centre – who have agreed to store the equipment and facilitate regular sessions.
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NEWS
Llongyfarchiadau Philip! Assistant Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan presented the 2017 South Wales Police Welsh Language Awards which recognises those who are learning Welsh and those who are supporting our learners. e ceremony also recognised the year’s outstanding Welsh learner, and this year Sergeant Philip omas received the South Wales Police Learner of the Year award. Sergeant omas was chosen as this year’s winner as the judges were highly impressed with his enthusiasm and efforts to develop, practice and improve his Welsh skills both in work and at home. During the ceremony 35 officers and staff,
£1.4 million funding boost UK Government announced a £1.4million award to the Police and Crime Commissioner to help prevent and address violence against women and girls. e award, which was the largest share of the £17million fund, was made following a successful bid to the Violence Against Women and Girls Service Transformation Fund. e fund is designed to promote projects which are leading the way in stopping violence before it happens. Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said: “e award of £1.4million to accelerate our work in reducing violence against women and girls is a significant vote of confidence in South Wales Police. I am delighted that the Home Office has recognised the outstanding work that is being done along with our partner agencies, to tackle violence against women and girls.” New initiatives to benefit from this investment include the ‘Ask Me’ scheme through which up to 30 ‘community ambassadors’ will be trained to identify the signs of abuse and to provide safe spaces within communities where women can report it.
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who received support to learn or improve their Welsh by South Wales Police Welsh language trainer Claire Bainton, were also recognised. Ten of these individuals have now qualified as assessors and will now use their skills to support other colleagues who are interested in learning or improving their Welsh. ACC Vaughan who leads on the Welsh language for the force, said: “I was delighted to recognise the efforts of our
officers and staff who have worked so hard to develop and use their new Welsh language skills”. Pictured is Sergeant Philip omas (left) and Assistant Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan with the trophy.
Don’t break the continuity chain 1st October 2017, the F368 label or yellow label should no longer be used for continuity purposes. General Manager Craig Hargreaves said: “One of the main reasons for this change is that these yellow labels keep e reason is simple - without it, the becoming detached, either falling off as defence could challenge the integrity of the tape dries over time or getting lost your evidence and as a result cases may in transit. e obvious solution is to not proceed, or could even collapse. replace them with an alternative, and Whether the property seized has a that is exactly what we plan to do. forensic value or not, the inability to prove where an evidential item has been “From 1st October all officers and since it was seized and who has handled relevant staff will be asked to only use it can break the continuity and evidence bags with the pre-printed therefore its value to your case. continuity labels provided by your OSU department. Any exhibits which fail to Reasons for continuity failure include: meet this new process will be refused, 1. Incomplete information detailed in not only to ensure our evidence meets the label. the standard expected by the force – 2. Detached missing labels. but because it’s also the standard that 3. Unsealed packaging would be expected from the public and victims of crime.” 4. Barcode label incomplete or absent. Further information about this change In an attempt to reduce the will be published on Bob soon. opportunity for unnecessary loss, from
Ensuring the continuity of evidential property has always been a priority for the force.
NEWS
2017 ANNUAL AWARDS SHORTLIST South Wales Police Teamwork Award Congratulations to the officers and staff, DS Robert Chambers & Operation Purple Sandstorm Team detailed below, who will be recognised at Sallie Bevan & Fleet Management Admin Team our Annual Awards ceremony at the Debbie Nugent & Employee Resources Team Brangwyn Hall in Swansea on 12th October. Extra Mile Award for Volunteers
A judging panel chaired by Deputy Chief Constable Matt Jukes and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Emma Wools selected the finalists, with Chief Constable Peter Vaughan and Commissioner Alun Michael choosing the winners.
Special Insp. Jonathan Edwards, Headquarters Morgan Evans, Police Youth Volunteer, Central BCU Dawn Thomas, Community Safety Volunteer, Western BCU
Lifetime Achievement Award - Police Officer
Police & Crime Commissioner Partnership Award
PC Colin Malone, Central BCU PC Barry Walker, Eastern BCU DS Debbie Gardner, Northern BCU
DI Stuart Wales & Operation Blue Capri, Eastern BCU PS Lindsey Sweeney, Merthyr Neighbourhood Policing Team & Merthyr Police Youth Volunteers PC David Jehu & Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service CI Chris Truscott & Purple Flag Team, Swansea
Lifetime Achievement Award - Police Staff Beverley Cousins, Western BCU Sandra Beer, PSC HQ Fiona Lewis, Western BCU
Diversity in Action Award Stephanie Callender, Western BCU Hannah Jenkins-Jones, CI Lisa Gore & Gender Promotion Team Bethan Chapman & Police Youth Volunteers, Western BCU
Exceptional Service to People Award DC Annalisa Bartley, Eastern BCU DC Joeli Patterson, Central BCU PC Craig Hadley, Western BCU
Leadership Award DS Alethea Fowler, Central BCU Carly Hart, Eastern BCU T/CI Phil Sparrow, Western BCU
Innovation Award Gary Jones & Clare Mages, PSC HQ Inspector Jason Rees & Police Youth Volunteer Scheme Team, Eastern BCU Special Sgt David Holmes & Anti-Social Behaviour 'Bus' Team, Eastern BCU
Exceptional Bravery Award Laura Matthews, PSC HQ PC Matthew Jones & PC Megan Hill, Western BCU Sue Rees, PSC HQ
Learner of the Year Award PC Thomas Harrison, Eastern BCU PC David Coles, Northern BCU Laura Tebby, PSC HQ
Community Shrievalty Cup PC Mike Neate, Eastern BCU PC Steven Davies, Northern BCU
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FEATURE
SWP OFFICERS SHINE THROUGH THE DARKEST DAYS Officers and staff from South Wales Police have earned praise for their work following terrorist incidents and other tragedies over recent months. Since March, the force has been involved in the aftermath of terrorist incidents at Westminster Bridge, Manchester Arena and London Bridge, as well as the horrifying Grenfell Tower fire. And the Metropolitan Police hailed the Welsh Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit following the Finsbury Park terror attack.
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difficult circumstances providing support in a number of areas including investigation, intelligence, family liaison and forensic management amongst others. As well as within WECTU there was excellent support provided from officers on Eastern BCU.
“I just want to pass on my sincere thanks for all the amazing work you and your staff have done for us here in the Met," said Detective Superintendent Mark Gower, from SO15 Investigations.
“This latest incident follows on from other major attacks in Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge as well as the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower.”
Detective Chief Inspector Jim Hall said: “This is great feedback for all the hard work we have done in support of our partners in very
In Manchester, officers provided investigative support following the terrorist attack at the Ariana Grande concert on May 22.
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I am immensely proud of the support South Wales officers and staff have given to these national, high-profile events. Assistant Chief Constable Jonathan Drake
officers and staff have given to these national, high-profile events. “Both myself and DCC Jukes deployed to Manchester and heard first-hand the positive feedback on the support provided by officers from Wales, the can-do, flexible attitudes and significant personal commitments. “I am aware South Wales Casualty Bureau staff also assisted following events in London.
Deployed at short notice, they carried out key lines of enquiry such as CCTV recovery and review and taking key witness statements. Family liaison officer duties were carried out following the London
attacks, while officers also supported the Grenfell Tower Casualty Bureau. Assistant Chief Constable Jon Drake said: “I am immensely proud of the support South Wales
“The fact that officers and staff from South Wales volunteer so willingly to assist nationally reflects very positively on individuals, our force and Wales as a whole, and I am proud to work with you."
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FEATURE
those who died We ride for
Serving and retired officers join others from across the country to ride in memory of those who died on duty
Each year hundreds of serving and retired police officers take on the challenge of cycling from all across the UK to the National Arboretum in Staffordshire to raise money and awareness for the families of officers who have died on duty. This year, a team of 50 riders from South Wales Police, Gwent Police and Dyfed Powys Police cycled over 200 miles from Brecon to join colleagues at the Arboretum for a service of remembrance. The annual Police Unity Tour raises money and awareness for COPS (Care of Police Survivors), which supports the families of officers who have died in active service. The tragic events of the 22nd March in London have highlighted the dangers facing police officers and the need to support this charity for those left behind. Each officer rides for a fallen colleague by wearing an engraved bracelet which shows families, however long ago that officer died, that they will never be forgotten.
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South Wales Police officers were joined at the Arboretum by 87year-old Lilian Smith whose husband, Chief Inspector Trevor Smith, died on duty in 1972. They remembered him under the South Wales Police tree, which has been planted along with 42 others to represent the other English and Welsh forces. Since its inception in 2013, the event has grown from just 25 riders from London raising £10,000 to over 250 riders from all over the country raising in excess of £75,000. South Wales Police officers raised over £11,000 from sponsorship from family and friends and other fundraising activities including an awareness event in Bridgend Tesco where officers spent a lunchtime riding exercise bikes in the store. This was a great success and raised £1,200 alone. Deputy Chief Constable Matt Jukes has taken part a number of times and said: “It is always a pleasure to
be part of this event, which embodies the spirit of the police family. It sounds like a mammoth feat, but the team all pull together and support each other making it achievable and enjoyable. Every year the number of officers riding grows, as does the support and the funds raised. It is truly humbling to hear the stories of those who have died on duty and the gap that they leave behind for their families, who are now being so well supported by COPS. It was very special to be joined at the Arboretum by Lilian Smith and hear first-hand from her the support she has received from COPS since the sad death of her husband.”
Brecon to Stafford – 200 miles of road The Welsh riders all converged on Brecon on the Thursday evening before the ride began and were well looked after by the local Gurkhas who prepared a fantastic curry to get them fuelled up for
FEATURE
the next day’s ride. The Gurkhas refused to take payment for the meal and instead donated it all to COPS, which was enormously appreciated by the whole team. The riders set off early on Friday morning for 12 hours of cycling covering 105 miles to Bromsgrove. The Saturday saw another early start but a mere 80 miles to Tamworth where the team met up with the other UK chapters and together, all 250 riders rode in matching tops to Drayton Manor where they were greeted by the families of some of the officers who have died on duty. The following day they all attended a memorial service at the National Arboretum. Detective Superintendent Richard Jones who led the South Wales Police team said: “The response from the families confirmed to me and all the riders how grateful they all are for our support, and the fact that we all took part to show that we haven’t forgotten them or their loved ones clearly means so much to them.”
not not have done it without the continued support of the wider team of volunteers, bike riders and paramedics.
“We are looking forward to next year’s ride and hope to grow the ‘Welsh Chapter’ – already the second biggest outside London He continued: “The whole weekend and have all four Welsh forces was a massive team effort and a huge achievement for us all. All the represented.” riders did superbly and we could
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FEATURE
Diweddariad Safonau’r Gymraeg Erbyn hyn, mae bron yn chwe mis ers i Safonau'r Gymraeg gael eu cyflwyno. Mae'r dyletswyddau sy'n dod o'r safonau yn golygu na ddylem drin y Gymraeg yn llai ffafriol na'r Saesneg, ynghyd â hyrwyddo a hwyluso'r defnydd o'r Gymraeg, h.y. ei gwneud yn haws i bobl ei defnyddio o ddydd i ddydd. Ers i’r safonau gael eu cyflwyno mae rhai esiamplau o unigolion yn torri’r safonau drwy greu deunydd uniaith Saesneg megis cylchlythyrau, ysgrifennu at unigolion yn Saesneg yn unig, ac wedi ateb ymholiadau Cymraeg yn Saesneg. Mae staff yn cael eu hatgoffa o’r safonau a’r ffaith nad yw anymwybyddiaeth o’r safonau yn dderbyniol.
n pan fyddwch yn ysgrifennu at rywun am y tro cyntaf, neu os nad ydych yn gwybod ei ddewis iaith, mae'n rhaid i chi ysgrifennu'n ddwyieithog n pan fyddwch yn ateb galwad ffôn allanol, mae'n rhaid i'ch cyfarchiad fod yn ddwyieithog n sicrhau bod eich llofnod electronig a'ch negeseuon allan o'r swyddfa yn ddwyieithog n sicrhau bod eich gallu Cymraeg wedi'i gofnodi'n gyfredol ar y Cyfeiriadur Corfforaethol n Mae'n rhaid i unrhyw waith dylunio neu argraffu a gaiff ei weld gan y cyhoedd (e.e. posteri, taflenni, pamffledi ac ati) fod yn ddwyieithog Mae’r Comisiynydd iaith sy’n gyfrifol am y safonau wedi gwneud hi’n glir eu bod nhw’n mesur ein cydsyniad.
Mae'r canlynol yn rhestr wirio syml o gamau gweithredu y mae angen i'r holl swyddogion a staff barhau i'w dilyn:
I gynorthwyo staff a swyddogion ddeall y safonau mae cyngor ar gael ar y dudalen Safonau’r iaith Bob.
n sicrhau bod yr holl e-byst, llythyrau a negeseuon cymdeithasol uniongyrchol a geir yn Gymraeg yn cael eu hateb yn Gymraeg
Os oes gan unrhyw un gwestiynau, cysylltwch ag Adam Green (Datblygu Corfforaethol) 70572 neu ebost Adam.Green@south-wales.pnn.police.uk
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FEATURE
The following is a simple checklist of actions all officers and staff need to continue to adhere to: n ensure all external emails/letters and direct social messages received in Welsh, are answered in Welsh n when you correspond with someone for the first time, or if their language choice isn't known then you must do so bilingually
Welsh Language Standards update
n when you answer an external telephone call your greeting must be bi-lingual
It’s now nearly six months since the Welsh Language Standards were introduced across the force.
n ensure your Welsh language ability is up to date on Firms
The duties, which come from the standards, mean that we should not treat the Welsh language less favourably than the English language, together with promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language i.e. making it easier for people to use in their day-to-day-life. Since the introduction of the standards the force has become aware of a few examples where individuals have unknowingly breached the standards by producing English only newsletters/materials, sent English only correspondence to members of the public and answered Welsh language enquiries in English. Ignorance of the standards is no defence and each individual officer and member of staff is reminded that they should be aware of their responsibilities to ensure compliance.
n ensure your electronic signature and out of office messages are bi-lingual
n Any design or print work that will be seen by the public (e.g. posters, flyers, leaflets etc.) must be bilingual The Welsh language Commissioner who is responsible for enforcing the standards is auditing and measuring our compliance. This activity could take the form of official visits or ‘mystery shopper’ type enquiries into the force. As such please ensure that you do all you can to ensure force compliance. To assist officers and staff with translations and guidance the Welsh Language Standards section of Bob continues to be developed. If anyone has any questions about any aspect of the Welsh Language Standards please contact Adam Green (Corporate Development) 70572 or email Adam.Green@south-wales.pnn.police.uk
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FEATURE
Communicating the
Champions League What do you get when you combine the biggest sporting event of 2017, the smallest ever host city, 170,000 visitors, a TV audience of 200 million and some of the most famous names in football.... ...the biggest policing operation South Wales Police has ever undertaken, the UEFA Champions League Final 2017. There were a number of issues faced by the Communications Team; the amount of fans both with tickets and without expected to descend on the city, concerns over whether our transport infrastructure could cope, the impact on businesses and residents, the attendance of VIPs, the limited number of hotels and the most significant issue for us, the increased terror threat. Now for the communications plan. We utilised the usual channels, digital, internal and external comms and decided the best approach for each. As with any large-scale event, a good comms plan is crucial. We knew that social media would be our biggest asset, so we decided to set up a new Twitter account dedicated to the event. We toyed with idea of using one of our already established accounts but
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came to the conclusion that a new account would work well. The audience we were trying to reach was very specific and we didn’t want the messaging to get lost in the other campaigns, events and business as usual that would still be going on. This decision proved invaluable in light of the increased threat level as people turned to us as a trusted source of information.
FEATURE
“
We knew that social media would be our biggest asset, so we decided to set up a new Twitter account dedicated to the event.
”
Meeting the demands of our communities
Morse is a new Continuous Improvement Programme that is transforming the way in which we meet the demands placed on us by the communities of South Wales. Our aim is to harness the potential which sits within our Public Service Centre (PSC) by championing innovation to benefit the organisation as a whole. Morse was created to make improvements within the organisation in three key areas: n Modernise access points
n Manage demand, deployment and resolution n Improve performance
ACC Jeremy Vaughan said: “Over the last ten years, the Public Service Centre has evolved to meet the demand placed on us by our communities. The Morse programme aims to transform the way we look at our resources making it easier to manage demand.” Some of our achievements to date:
n Reviewed the way in which the PSC manages all contacts and identified improvements to cut call time and improve call quality. n Restructured the telephony systems to enable more calls being handled without a human interface. The most important thing for us was to get the tone right. Tweets were translated to Italian and Spanish, we shared partner agencies’ tweets and consistently pushed security and safety messaging, quickly turning around video messages from senior officers to address issues as they emerged. One of our team was out in Cardiff from the day the festival opened; his role was to capture what our officers do best, community engagement. Our social media posts were shared far and wide – our dedicated Twitter account had 1000 followers, we sent 715 tweets with 2.9k likes, 2k retweets and 1.2 million impressions, Facebook posts had likes of over 4k with a reach of over 350k and our two videos from our ACC had almost 45k views - all over the course of the event.
n Transformed the way the force monitors and mitigates organisational risk through social media by providing a centralised system capturing and replying to all social media traffic. In the first 30 days the PSC received and dealt with over 1,000 social media engagements. Over the next few months Morse will continue to drive change by:
n Closing the officer line, saving the organisation £200,000 per year.
n Delivering a new way of managing interface between Niche and Control Works through development of a programme that will save the organisation £400,000 per year.
n Working with Unify and Netcall to update to our telephony system to enable us to receive contacts through the medium of voice, webchat, social media and email.
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FEATURE
HQ developments – LATEST NEWS If you work at, or have visited Headquarters recently, you will have noticed that the work on the latest development on the site has made real progress. In fact, our estates department who are leading the project have told Billboard that the official opening isn’t too far away at all, and likely to be towards the end of September. The new building – on the site of the former Ty Coffi and memorial garden - is essential to the success of the fixed, flexible, field and wellbeing concepts. The facility is available for all staff, officers and guests working at or visiting the HQ site, it provides space to eat with facilities to warm up food brought in, vending machines as well as a commercial kitchen with healthy eating as a core requirement. The building is designed to enable improved communication through better social space and informal meet and work stations to facilitate agile or remote working. The building will be fitted with WiFi and electric points so that it can be used as a workspace for staff and large monitors will keep users in touch with current news and broadcast information.
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The building form follows that of the HQ extension, with a barrel vaulted roof sitting above walls of silver cladding and floor to eaves glazed screens. At the front of the new accommodation, open plan space provides eating, meeting and congregation space for 200 staff and visitors. Whilst to the rear cellular rooms will include a servery and kitchen, a resources room for agile working, a multi faith/ reflection room and wash/toilet facilities. Energy efficiency has been a prime consideration and the building benefits from a natural ventilation system with fan support when the occupancy reaches above a given level. The lights are high efficient units with integrated acoustic baffles and additional, suspended boards ensure an appropriate acoustic atmosphere as well as breaking up views of the exposed roof structure and services. To one side of the building an external seating area will allow users to enjoy beaks in the open air and at the front of the building the memorial sun dial will be re-established and elevated to appropriately commemorate all police officers and staff who have died in service. More information on this development will be published on Bob shortly.
FEATURE
CHECK OUT THE NEW BAIL CALCULATOR
Been struggling to get to grips with the new bail timescales and clocks stopping...then starting again? Then it's probably worth knowing about the new Pre Charge Bail Calculator. It's really easy to use and even easier to access. Just visit the Pre Charge Bail web page under priorities on Bob. You can also find a link on your mobile device. Take a look and let us know what you think. If there’s anything we can do to make it better then please let us know either on Yammer, Bob, or by contacting the Bail Team on extension 27750. Tell us what you think - the implementation of this new legislation is currently under review. Various focus groups have and will be taking place across the force to find out your views on how its introduction has gone. But if you don’t get the opportunity to attend one of the events, you can also tell us by posting your thoughts on the Pre Charge Bail Bob page, or my contacting us directly. What you think is very important, so please keep that feedback coming in.
Welcome to the Rhondda Room An opportunity to provide a large (40 person capacity) briefing and training room in a theatre style layout within the top floor extension has now been realised and the Rhondda Room will help cement the cultural change in agile working. The room is designed to be most efficient as a paperless environment and we anticipate further reduction in printing and paper usage as well as lower costs incurred on external meeting venues. All HQ conference facilities are force assets and will be enabled to be booked through the outlook system in due course. Here’s a glimpse of it in use during some recent media training for some senior officers, organised by the Communications Team.
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FEATURE
iPatrol catches the eye
In 2014, within a climate of austerity, South Wales and Gwent Police along with their developer partners, Xenium and Mobile Innovations, began work on a mobile application called iPatrol. The objective behind this development was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of frontline officers and therefore make them more accessible to the public within the communities of south Wales.
The application was “designed by cops, for cops” for use in day-byday police duties. Every aspect of the application has been developed hand in glove with the end users. It offers federated searching of national systems, offline working and takes advantage of the mobile device’s GPS ability to navigate quickly to calls and to prepopulate locations into forms. The application has also replaced the traditional paper pocket notebook with an electronic version, which is more secure and reduces work for the officers. British Transport Police (BTP) issued an Invitation To Tender (ITT) back in November 2016 for an Operational Policing Application. Six of the leading UK suppliers of police orientated patrol applications where invited to BTP to present
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their solutions. Xenium was one of those suppliers. PC Steve Vaughan and Adam Wardle joined Xenium at the BTP Hydra Suite to assist Xenium with the rigorous assessment process. iPatrol was the successful app and is currently being trialled by 100 BTP officers at various locations throughout the UK with a wider rollout to take place in the New Year. The iPatrol application has enabled officers to access the backend systems to allow them to perform searches of people and vehicles as well as updating their workloads without the need to place demand on the Public Service Centre (PSC), with the benefit of freeing up the staff to answer more of the incoming calls from the public. A financial saving is now being realised from the reduction of Airwave radio traffic as officers communicate with the Public Service Centre in a more effective and efficient way. Police officers and Police Community Support Officers now spend on average 66% of their duty time within their area of operation enabling them to offer visible reassurance to the public as well as being more accessible to the community.
In an effort to keep pace with the rapidly changing world of mobile technology, iPatrol has been designed with the capacity to accommodate much of the anticipated demand moving forward as well as being flexible enough to adapt to legislative changes.
FEATURE
Laptops set to hit the frontline Earlier this year, the Fusion team invited response officers to informal drop-in sessions across the four BCUs and HQ which offered a glimpse of things to come with regards to the proposed new field laptops. The sessions focused on comparing the proposed new laptops side by side and provided officers with the opportunity to provide constructive but honest feedback on their preferred option. The sessions were well-attended across the force with over 150 officers offering up their thoughts. Following on from the sessions the Fusion Team sent out an invite to response teams to volunteer themselves to test out two field laptops, one of which will be delivered as part of the force roll out of ‘Field’ technology.
The aim of the trial is to gain feedback from the response teams as to how the devices perform within the frontline environment. The teams will trial the devices over a period of eight weeks – four weeks for each device.
What we were looking for
n What’s the laptop screen and sound quality like?
n What’s it like to use day to day?
n How long does the battery last? n How does it perform, what is connectivity like?
Body cams are ready to roll
Body cams are being issued to officers in Northern BCU during August and September as part of the third phase of the roll out of body worn video. JFU and Eastern BCU have already received their devices. In total over 2,300 frontline officers across the force will be issued with body cams by November 2017.
The cameras will significantly enhance evidence gathering and help the force to meet the demands it is facing both now and in the future. From earlier use in Eastern BCU, officers have found that the public often amend their behaviour because the body cameras capture what is happening. Officers have also said that
n Is it suitable to perform within a frontline policing environment? Following the nominations received, two response teams will be chosen to drive the use, and co-ordinate feedback, of the two proposed laptops out in the field. It’s vital that the Fusion Programme get response team feedback on the field laptops proposed and it’s an understatement to say that their help on this will be very much appreciated!
interactions between them and the public has resulted in fewer complaints being upheld when a camera was worn. Other benefits have been shown when the body camera footage has encouraged early guilty pleases at court when victims of domestic abuse were saved from giving evidence because of the footage provided.
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FEATURE
USE OF FORCE IS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT INCIDENTS
END RESULT
TYPE OF RESISTENCE
59,156
78%
3%
3%
INCIDENTS DEPLOYED TO
OF SUBJECTS WERE ARRESTED
DETAINED UNDER MENTAL HEALTH ACT
REQUIRED HOSPITAL TREATMENT
7,149
2% AGGRAVATED
11% AGGRESIVE
INJURIES SUSTAINED
ARRESTS
38%
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
4,830 USE OF FORCE SUBMISSIONS
22 COMPLAINTS FOLLOWING USE OF FORCE
41%
13%
OF FORMS SUBMITTED CITED ALCOHOL
OF FORMS SUBMITTED CITED DRUGS
23%
NONCOMPLIANT
ACTIVE
17% VERBAL
9% PASSIVE
INJURED 146 OFFICERS WHILST USING FORCE 112 OFFICERS ASSAULTED 187 SUBJECTS INJURED
SUBJECT PROFILE DATA
81
4300
OUT OF FORCE AREA
1356 WESTERN
773
3225
NORTHERN
59%
4221
18-34 YEARS OLD
2150
INCIDENT LOCATION
695 CENTRAL
During the summer our use of force data was published – the first time it has been put into the public domain.
1925 EASTERN
1075
268 0 WHITE
BLACK
145
127
69
ASIAN
MIXED
OTHER
comprehensive picture of when and why force is used.
It has been mandatory for all police forces in England and Wales to record every instance of force being used since April 1, 2017. Forces were told they had to publish this data during July 2017.
Because this was the first time this information has been made public, and because each force has taken a slightly different approach to how they publicise their data, the National Police Chiefs Council had emphasised that comparisons between forces would be misleading.
South Wales Police had been a pathfinder force for this new means of working, meaning our compliance (in terms of forms being filled in when force was used) and overall number of forms were higher than many other forces. This meant our figures helped show a
However, the data is valuable for us as a force, so we can study where improvements need to be made, including in ensuring forms are filled in on every single occasion that force, which also includes tactical communications and compliant handcuffing, was used.
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84%
16%
MALE
FEMALE
The information is also being used to help us scrutinise what is working well – but also where improvements need to be made. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders, including community cohesion groups, to ensure we are as open and as transparent as possible about the methods of our policing, which is why we are pleased to be able to publish this information. The data was presented in the form of an infographic, which we hoped would make it easier for members of the public to understand in a more user-friendly format than some other forces prepared.
FEATURE
No hiding place for crime suspects
Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) IDENTIFY – revolutionising how we identify suspects South Wales Police is in an extremely fortunate position in leading UK policing in the use of Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) technology.
from a variety of sources (Jpeg, social media, eFits, etc.) and compare against our SWP custody database of around 468,000 images.
To date we have delivered AFR LOCATE during the UEFA Champions League Final. This involved live cameras supplying high-powered laptops with images which were compared against a pre-defined watch list in order to locate them – this culminated in the first real-time AFR arrest in the UK. We are now working on the next phase, called AFR IDENTIFY.
AFR IDENTIFY will then potentially match the ‘probe’ image with images located in the repository. Given the level of local and repeat offending within our force area it is highly likely that we will already have an image of the suspect within our custody database. Video footage analysis (CCTV, body worn video etc.) is planned for some time after October 2017.
AFR IDENTIFY and the PROMAT ID unit at Talbot Green will become the first point of call moving forward for investigators who are struggling to identify a suspect. AFR IDENTIFY will allow the force to take still images
In more detail, AFR IDENTIFY is a process in which investigators can submit an image (known as a probe image) - whether this be obtained from CCTV, a photograph or video – to the Identification Unit to identify a
potential “Match”. The submitted image is compared against images contained within the system (candidate images) with the process being managed via a Niche workflow process. It is important to clarify that as the system is based on an algorithm, which measures a number of facial features, we need good quality ‘usable’ images. These are images which show both eyes, nose and the shape of the face – in essence as close to a ‘head on’ image as possible. All searches will be carried out by the PROMAT ID Unit however it is the responsibility of the Officer in the Case to task the ID Unit and not the unit to search for images. The Fusion Team will be engaging with BCUs during August and September with AFR Roadshows. If you have any questions or queries for the team please email them via afr@south-wales.pnn.police.uk
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That was then... Billboard, with the help of guest contributor Tony Peters of the Glamorgan Archives, now takes us back 35 years to 2nd June 1982 and the time Pope John Paul II visited Cardiff. The arrangements for the Pope’s arrival were many months in the making and were eventually summarised in seven detailed operational orders now held at Glamorgan Archives. This is a story which when read in full, makes it almost impossible not to draw comparison between the recent Champions League Finals policing operation and that of the time. But perhaps even more notable are the developments that have taken place in the world of media and communications. Extract from the operational order: “The eyes of the world through national and international television will be upon us and we must endeavour to excel ourselves in our turnout, dress and deportment on the day.”
Ahead of and during the Pope’s visit the South Wales Constabulary had the unenviable task of considering the needs of the world’s media. A task which fell to retired Chief Superintendent, then Chief Inspector, John Knight, who at the time was the force’s Press and Public Relations Officer. Reflecting on that day Mr Knight, pictured above right, has told Billboard: “As a press officer, this was undoubtedly the biggest event I was ever involved in. I started working with the Church and the press a full six months before the visit, which was not only a visit to Wales, but the end of his visit to the UK and he was in effect saying goodbye to the country. True to style however – South Wales Police
did themselves proud. “The event itself was magnificent. I personally visited every venue and the planning and arrangements for the media had to provide for local, national and international organisations. “I was also lucky enough to be presented to the Holy Father when I was awarded a Papal Medal. It was a real honour and a highlight of my police service.” An open air Mass, attended by thousands of people, was held at Pontcanna. This was covered extensively by the media as was the Pope’s motorcade through the streets of the city. A civic lunch was also held in honour of the Pope who was made a Freeman of the City of Cardiff.
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South Wales Constabulary’s handling of the event was widely praised including by the Catholic Church and the media. Responding to the many messages of
MUSEUM
appreciation, the then Chief Constable Mr, (later Sir) John Woodcock thanked those responsible under the leadership of Assistant Chief Constable Viv Brook. He included in his gratitude the public relations team under Chief Inspector John Knight who he described as a “A real Papal Knight�! If you would like to find out more about the visit and the South Wales Constabulary response visit www.glamarchives.gov.uk
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SPORTS & SOCIAL
Bidding farewell to a true hero Colleagues of PC Mike Evans were among the hundreds of mourners who paid tribute to an officer described as “one of South Wales’ finest”. PC 3167 Evans planned his own funeral – which saw dozens of friends and fellow triathlon and Ironman competitors leading the cortege to Coychurch Crematorium. ere was also a guard of honour for “Evsy” at the crematorium. Reflecting on his friend and colleague, DCC Matt Jukes said: “He was a very proud family man, and his family have
been so impressive in sustaining him throughout his illness and working with him to raise thousands of pounds to help improve the lives of others. “He was an incredibly gifted officer who received a number of commendations for his heroism in extraordinary circumstances. He was an accomplished detective, who protected the vulnerable and put countless dangerous people
behind bars. He also schooled and supported young officers who will forever be in his debt. “Mike will be missed but certainly never forgotten. South Wales Police has indeed lost one of its finest.” Mike joined the force in June 1992, becoming a DC in 1998 before moving to force planning in 2014.
Police sports funding boost for school Children at Ysgol Hen Felin in Rhondda have benefited from over £500 worth of new toys and go-pro cameras thanks to a donation from local officers and staff. e Rhondda Police Social and Athletic Club provide welfare facilities to staff and officers and funds from this were used to buy the new items for the children. Jayne Pryse assistant head teacher at the school said: "We are so grateful for the generous donation given to us by the police, we are so lucky. e resources and equipment will benefit every class in the school. It's like Christmas day again!"
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LETTERS & FEEDBACK
&
Letters
Feedback Eran Elliont Merthyr Police make other forces look like amateurs, I’ve been around the country working as a contractor and our force are the most polite and helpful of any I have come accross.
anks SWP
SUDOKU CHALLENGE
Myself and my young family were so impressed with the behaviour and conduct of the officers over the Champions League period that I felt compelled to write in. Seeing heavily armed officers in South Wales is not something our children are used to seeing, your officer turned what could have been an intimidating and quite hostile set of circumstances into a fun, friendly and accommodating environment. Every time, without exception, the children and I passed an armed officer, they smiled or engaged in friendly conversation. Not only did their presence reassure us, they provided an additional positive dynamic that could have so easily been construe as frightening and negative by children and families. I wanted to say thank you to all of the officers involved. ank you for keeping us safe, thank you for being there, thank you for being happy and smiling, thank you for standing resolute in very frightening times. I do not normally provide feedback of this sort, but I have been reflecting since the event and hope that the way the officers involved conducted themselves should be celebrated and commended. ank you. Beth Altman, Cardiff
Patrol Along Feedback “e Patrol Along scheme was an excellent experience allowing me to have an insight of what it’s like on a busy shift as a police officer, observing the fantastic teamwork when completing certain tasks given in briefings and upholding the law and being involved in different communities.” Participant one
Ceri Clark Why would people complain about the police? They have been amazing everytime I needed them!
I received first-hand experience of how they engaged with members of the public who were intoxicated. ey were very professional and was able to encourage the men to go home before any aggression developed. e time I spent with the officers provided me with invaluable experience and insight into the profession. I asked a number of questions relating to joining the force and the officers were very knowledgeable and helpful. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the officers for their time and thank you for arranging the shift.” Participant two
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and finally...
Cracker goes out with a bang! Police dog Cracker went out with a bang when his great work led to the seizure of drugs and firearms in Cardiff. It was one the final acts for Cracker who has ended his police career after 11 years. Cracker and handler PC Richard Heath stopped a man who was acting suspiciously and found him in possession of cash and a firearm. Further searches resulted in street deals of crack cocaine and heroin being discovered. The man was charged with offences and sentenced to six years in prison with a co-defendant getting two years.
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The successful conviction marked the end of a distinguished career for sniffer dog Cracker.
He was a firm favourite among staff, and was one of the most successful dogs on the team having sniffed out drugs and cash worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. In 2013 he hit the headlines when he recovered cash stolen from a Llanishen bank within minutes of a burglary happening. PC Heath, said: “Cracker really does live up to his name – he’s been a fantastic policing partner for me for the best part of eleven years – He’s been with me since he was a number of weeks old. We’re close – he’s earned his retirement and will be looked after very well.”