Warmest season’s greetings to you all. In my first full year as your Police and Crime Commissioner, I have visited many communities and I have listened carefully to your thoughts and concerns.

By taking into consideration your valuable feedback, I was pleased to develop my police and crime priorities for Gwent earlier this year and launch my four year police and crime plan which highlights how police and crime services will be delivered.

I have been positively encouraged by the performance of Gwent Police again this year and it is pleasing to see the service consistently receiving good ratings from HM Inspectors in regards to the way it keeps people safe, protects the most vulnerable and provides an efficient and effective service. Gwent Police is now considered by the Inspectorate as one of the most improved policing services in England and Wales. It is becoming a positive pattern and one that we want to continue. Our ambition, however, is to become an outstanding service.

This would not have been possible without the impressive commitment of our officers and staff and the pride they have in the jobs that they do. It’s also down to the effort of partners in the community who support our work. I would like to thank each one of them.

I know that accessible and visible policing is a key priority for many and I was pleased to secure funding to enable Gwent Police to recruit 180 new police officers during 2017/18 to bolster the front-line. This demonstrates our commitment to providing you with the right level of protection and reassurance. My priority remains to ensure that funding is invested directly into frontline policing and we would like to recruit more officers in the New Year to make sure you have an appropriate level of policing.

With this in mind, I launched a public consultation last month, asking residents how much they are willing to pay for their local policing. The survey will run until 4pm on Sunday 7th January 2018.  The results of this survey will help inform my considerations when setting next year’s budget (2018/19) and the level of precept (the policing element of your Council Tax). You can complete the online version of the survey though the following link www.bit.ly/GwentPrecept18-19

I am already looking forward to the next year. I will continue to work hard on improving policing and in driving forward essential partnerships to keep our communities safe. My focus, as always, will remain on preventing crime, putting victims first and in ensuring the people of Gwent have the best quality service possible.

I would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Christmas and a very Happy New Year.