Dyfed-Powys Police has been told to improve in their efficiency, as they are set to lose officers in their droves over the next four years.
The force has been criticised for not having an over-arching plan for the future and a sluggish response to technological innovation in Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue’s (HMICFR) latest round of PEEL assessments.
Dyfed-Powys Police force was given a ‘requires improvement’ rating.
The force was told to ‘adopt a more holistic approach’ to developing a long term future plan.
The report stated: “Dyfed-Powys Police needs to improve in the way it considers changing public expectations in a vision of the future.
“The force’s understanding of the skills it needs in future leaders is also limited by the extent to which it understands the skills it has in its current leaders.
Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn
“This understanding is restricted to chief inspector level and above. Staff and more junior police ranks have not yet been included in the skills audit although there are plans to do so by 2019.”
Dyfed-Powys is expecting a large turnover of officers over the next four years as officers are due to retire in droves.
“The force has four professional development programmes included in its 2017/18 plan but HMI ‘did not find evidence that the force has well defined career pathways or that individual professional development plans were directly linked to succession planning.”
The force’s fast-track scheme for inspectors has failed to attract a single successful applicant.
The report also states: “Although the force and Police and Crime Commissioner have engaged with local communities to understand their immediate local priorities and changing public expectations, this is not a part of a single programme of change for the future.
“This limits the extent to which the force can use its understanding of local concerns to develop a policing vision of the future that reflects the wishes of people living in Dyfed-Powys.”
DCC Darren Davies
Responding to the critical report, Dyfed-Powys Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Darren Davies, said: “We are one of 10 forces graded as ‘Requires Improvement’ overall, and therefore still have much work to do, there are clear indications within the report that the force is making positive progress.
“In previous years Dyfed-Powys has been assessed as Requires Improvement in all the areas making up the efficiency report.
“This year, we have been assessed as ‘Good’ at understanding demand.
“In the report, HMICFRS has identified five areas for improvement and we have already began addressing these and will continue to work hard to rectify these whilst maintaining the positive direction of travel.”
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