IT IS wrong to suggest that police have given up on certain crimes, as reported in some local papers last week. That certainly is not what is happening in South Wales and to paint a false picture can cause unnecessary fear of crime. South Wales continues to be a safe place to live and work and our Chief Constable, Peter Vaughan, enjoins his team to listen to the communities they serve. That’s why I have had praise for the local police teams from councillors of all parties across South Wales

There are objective criteria against which South Wales Police is now amongst the top performing forces. In the period 2012-13 our police had a 96 per cent attendance rate to all crimes, 100 per cent attendance rate to all house burglaries and 97 per cent attendance rate for theft of vehicles. This puts us in the top five of forces where data is available.

However, it would be wrong to suggest the severe cuts imposed by the UK Government have had no impact on policing. The number of police officers in south Wales is down from 3,400 to 2,800 and that involves doing more with less.

My response and that of the Chief Constable has been to make sure our priorities reflect the needs and views of our communities. That’s why we are working harder than ever with our partners in local government and in the health service to drive down crime. That’s why we have invested in new facilities and in cutting-edge technology to make our police more efficient and to free up officers to support victims and catch criminals. It’s a matter of pride that levels of victim satisfaction with the service provided by South Wales Police are far higher than they were in the past – and that hasn’t happened by accident.

I share Chief Constable Peter Vaughan’s view that every crime and every victim is important and he has responded admirably to the challenge I have set to ensure levels of recorded crime are brought closer to the levels of crime experienced by the public.

There may be parts of the country where things are different and it is annoying when reports give blanket comments about “the police”. South Wales Police, far from giving up, will persist in listening to the needs and experiences of people throughout the area so that we can provide the best possible response to victims and continue to improve the safety of all by driving down crime wherever we can.

Rt. Hon. Alun Michael

Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales