Dyfed-Powys Police now answers 999 calls among the fastest of any force in England and Wales, but inspectors say it still needs to get better at investigating crime.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) rated the force good in four areas of policing, adequate in four and “requires improvement” at investigating crime. None was rated inadequate.
The force covers Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Powys. In June, a separate inspection rated it only adequate at tackling organised crime.
Dyfed-Powys 999 and 101 calls answered faster
In the year to the end of May, the force answered 95.1% of 999 calls within 10 seconds, the report says, above the 90% standard expected of every force.
For non-emergency 101 calls, the force’s own figures show a bigger change. In 2023-24, it says, 41% of 101 callers hung up before getting through, and the average wait was 398 seconds.
By 2025-26, according to the force, that had fallen to 6.6% hanging up, with an average wait of 43 seconds.
Inspectors called the 101 performance “at an acceptable level” and said it had improved since their last visit. But they said the force doesn’t clearly understand why some callers still hang up.
They also found some lower-priority incidents waiting “for extended periods” without being reviewed. In July, the force said a domestic abuse specialist would join its 999 control room from August.
Some crimes closed while there were still leads to follow
Inspectors checked a sample of cases and found the investigation was effective in 65 of 85. In 11 of 70, the force had closed crimes while there were still lines of enquiry to follow.
They found too few enquiries in the crucial first hours, missed chances to get and view CCTV, and supervisors who said they didn’t have the time, or in some cases the knowledge, to properly oversee officers’ caseloads.
The report says the problems seemed to centre on burglary and retail crime, which were mainly handed to response officers. The force has since moved most of those cases to neighbourhood teams.
Victims were told the outcome of their case in only 49 of 66 cases inspectors checked. The force had also recorded only 71 of the 83 crimes it should have.
Some officers told inspectors that forensic examinations were still taking more than 40 weeks, and in isolated cases over a year.
The report does credit progress. Positive outcomes, such as a charge or a caution, rose from 10.9% to 12.4% of crimes with a victim, close to the 12.7% average across forces.
For rape, positive outcomes rose from 5.4% to 9.2%.
Clare’s Law requests left overdue
When someone asks police whether a partner has a history of abuse, the force has 28 days to deal with it under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, known as Clare’s Law.
Inspectors found 18 open requests, nine of them past that limit. In four of the 10 cases they audited, there were safeguarding concerns for the victim.
Chief Constable on investigations: “I won’t shy away from that”
The force says it has moved up a grade in five areas since its last inspection in 2023-25. The inspectorate’s report says direct comparisons between the two sets of grades aren’t possible, because it has changed what it looks at.
Chief Constable Ifan Charles said he was “particularly pleased” with the four good grades, which cover the workforce, the fair use of police powers, preventing crime and responding to the public.
He said the report also showed “areas where we need to do more”, adding: “I won’t shy away from that.”
He said: “I accept those findings, particularly in relation to investigating crime, and the force is already focussed on the improvements needed.”
The force says it is tightening supervision of investigations, strengthening its quality checks and investing in training and accreditation for investigators.
Police and crime commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn welcomed the progress, but said the investigating crime grade “must remain a clear priority”.
The full report is on the HMICFRS website (external link, opens in a new tab).
Discover more from Swansea Bay News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
