In May 2021, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) warned that Dyfed-Powys Police was only recording an estimated 87.6 percent of all reported crime – meaning an estimated 4,400 crimes were not recorded each year.
Three urgent recommendations
As a result, HMICFRS issued Dyfed-Powys Police with a cause of concern and made three urgent recommendations, including that the force should:
- Improve its systems and processes for recording reported crimes, paying particular attention to domestic abuse;
- Ensure adequate supervision of the crime-recording decisions made by police officers and staff; and
- Provide better training for all police officers and staff working on crime recording.
HMICFRS revisited Dyfed-Powys Police
HMICFRS revisited Dyfed-Powys Police in 2022 and found that the force had made good progress against these recommendations.
It said the force is now estimated to be recording:
- 91.6 percent of all reported crime (excluding fraud);
- 88.4 percent of violent offenses; and
- 98.8 percent of sexual offenses, a statistically significant improvement compared to an estimated 92.2 percent in 2021.
HMICFRS said Dyfed-Powys Police has also provided crime recording training to all staff. The inspectorate confirmed today that it would now discharge the cause of concern.
Dyfed-Powys Police’s failure
Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Wendy Williams, said: "Accurate crime recording helps police forces prioritize investigations by using suitably skilled staff to give victims the service they deserve. It also helps forces to manage their resources and plan effectively for the future. After previously raising concerns in 2018 and again in 2021 about Dyfed-Powys Police’s failure to consistently record crimes, I am pleased that the force has now acted on our recommendations."
She adds, "The people of Wales will rightly expect Dyfed-Powys Police to ensure their reports of crime are recorded, reported, and taken seriously. On their behalf, I welcome the improvements that have been made over the past year. We will monitor the force’s performance to make sure that public safety continues to come first."