Plaid Cymru call for all-Wales police force to ‘foster better policing culture’
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has called for an all-Wales police force in the wake of allegations made against some Gwent Police officers.
Creating an All-Wales Police force can help regain trust and foster a better culture in Welsh Policing following allegations of racism, misogyny, and homophobia within Gwent Police, he said.
Replacing the existing four police forces with a one Wales force approach could lead to “positive change in outcomes for victims and foster a new policing culture based on respect and inclusivity.”
A similar restructure in Scotland, where all police forces were merged into one in 2013, led to positive change after initial challenges, he said.
Adam Price MS said: “The allegations levelled at some officers within the Gwent Police force are deeply concerning.
“Police officers should always be beyond reproach and allegations such as these undermine the hard work of emergency services who work day and night to keep our communities safe.
“Wales can learn lessons from the success of Police Scotland’s merger in 2013 in order to ensure that resources are distributed fairly and wisely between the regions, and that relations with forces in England remain strong to tackle cross-border crime.
“A single force would allow a more efficient service in terms of HR, ICT, procurement and all the other infrastructure which enables the police to do their jobs from day to day.
“Radical reform would present an opportunity to restore the trust which has been eroded due to shameful incidents such as the recent case of Gwent Police. It could lead to positive change in outcomes for victims and foster a new policing culture based on respect and inclusivity.
“The Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales chaired by Sir Michael Barber has already recommended merging the back-office functions of all forces. Now is the time to take bold steps and ensure that the police are in the strongest possible position to keep our communities safe.”
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Adam Price hasn’t got a clue about policing in Wales. This is a very bad idea and will reduce capability to fight serious and organised crime in North Wales, it will be all moved to the M4 beltway.
Arfon is 100 per cent right on this. Cooperating between Wales forces for certain and greater coordination on a range of criminal and social justice maters but the sad lessons from Scotland needs to be learnt. When I served on the NWPA we looked at this but soon saw the potential centralisation and loss of rural focus our Celtic cousins suffered. Plaid is supposed to be about the return to community and local not a Cardiff Bay power grab. Adam may be best reading up on the vision of Gwynfor and the founders over Christmas rather than seeking to do… Read more »
Utter nonsense from a politician who clearly has no idea. Policing needs to be left to the Police under the direction of locally appointed PCC’s who know far better than National political leaders.
Locally ELECTED PCCs many of whom don’t have the first idea about policing and tend to be politically aligned. Police should NEVER be politically aligned. Otherwise you end up with the Gestapo or the Stasi
Evidence?
Policing in Wales have not been consulted by Plaid Cymru prior to this rubbish being released.
This is Adam making stuff up as he goes along without any supporting evidence.
Evidence of what? That PCCs are elected and politically aligned? Okay. Here you go https://www.apccs.police.uk/role-of-the-pcc/elections/
Evidence that the Gestapo were politically aligne dwiht the Nazis and that the Stasi were politically aligned to the East German Communist party should be common knowledge.
You have posted only knee-jerk opinion. Perhaps hold yourself up to the same level of scrutiny to which you subject me?
“Adam making stuff up as he goes along …” Dafydd El Mk2. Plus ça change …
I would disagree that PCCs do not have the first idea about Policing. The 3 PCCs for N Wales have all been pretty good in my opinion and have quietly done a good job for the people of N Wales without being biased politically.
And you are free to do so. However, even being good PCCs does not suggest any expertise on policing. A good PCC listens to the Police Commissioner for the force they represent. A bad one does not. But all a PCC is, is a conduit to government. A messenger. Just another hierarchical role between the force and Government with a bit of leeway to impose a little political dogma into a non-political (allegedly) police force. It’s a pointless role
https://nation.cymru/news/one-police-wales-naive-because-criminal-threat-comes-from-england-says-former-north-wales-police-boss/
Price should look to sort out the bad behaviours within his own party. Once he has created a model of good behaviour and assuming he also survives any close review he can proceed to tell others how to organise their people.
The prime policy should be the Welsh police force MUST be accountable to the Welsh Parliament and government.
Not forces from outside Wales.
Devolution of all matters relating to Justice, as in Yr Alban should be a priority as a prelude to independence.
They need to be accountable to the people they serve my friend first , second and third !
Until Wales has a seperate judiciary to whom the police would answer, a ‘national’ force is an idiotic idea. I know Plaid want this too (as well as indy, although finding myself less and less convinced of late – a lot of nose-ringed bluehairs using us as useful idiots right now), but this is a classic cart before the horse deal. Plaid want to centralise everything, fine. But this is just pure political naivety.