Wrthi'n llwytho
Y penderfyniadau fel y mae cofnodion y cyngor yn eu cofnodi. Bydd crynodeb mewn iaith glir yn dilyn pan fydd wedi'i ysgrifennu.
RESOLVED that the report be received.
RESOLVED that the report be received.
RESOLVED that the report be noted.
RESOLVED that the report be noted.
RESOLVED that the briefing be noted.
RESOLVED to note the appointment of Mrs Nicola Davies as Chief Financial Officer of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Apologies for absence were received from Professor Ian Roffe (Independent Co-opted Member), Councillor Les George (Powys County Council), and Councillor Simon Wright (Pembrokeshire County Council). Prior to the commencement of the main agenda items, the Chair welcomed Councillor David Simpson to their first meeting of the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel. The Chair also thanked Councillor Simon Hancock for their dedication and service to the Panel, following the conclusion of their term of office.
Member Agenda Item No. Interest Mrs H. Thomas All Items. Family member is currently serving as a Police Officer with Dyfed-Powys Police. In addition, a family member works at the Living Well Centre in Carmarthen, which benefited from a donation from the Commissioner, as reported under Agenda Item 7.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Panel held on the 23rd January 2026 be signed as a correct record.
No matters arising from the minutes of the meeting were raised.
It is proposed by Government that at some point in the future, the majority of cases destined for the courts will not be heard by juries but rather, will be considered by a Judge. It is said that this is being done to expedite the process, instead of individuals being held under a cloud for years in some cases before their cases are heard and their outcome determined. Is the Commissioner satisfied that the Force has the capacity to provide timely evidence to enable judges to hear these cases sooner and determine their outcome, and has the Commissioner explored these proposals with the Chief Constable to canvas his opinion. · Question has been put to the Chief Constable at the most recent Strategic Performance Board meeting and has received comprehensive responses to that question set. · Important to note that the matters at present are early discussion points from the Ministry of Justice, which are part of a wider network of proposed changes and reforms planned by the current UK Government. · Details of some of these changes have been formally raised, including the recently published Police Reform White Paper. However, others are somewhat unknown, particularly those relevant in a Welsh context, for example, in relation to the potential devolution of youth justice. · Dyfed-Powys Police are required to adhere to strict deadlines set under the Transforming Summary Justice initiative, and the Case Progression Unit must operate within those deadlines. · The Case Progression Unit is the team within Dyfed-Powys Police responsible for preparing court files for both Magistrates' and Crown Court levels. · Regarding the specific questions raised, they primarily concern higher-level judicial decision-making responsibilities. However, the majority of work does not fall within this category, which represents a relatively small proportion of overall case preparation files. · Allocated court time is provided by His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), and delays are often attributed to insufficient time to manage a high volume of trials. However, cases can also be pulled due to the availability of judicial officials. Consequently, a high proportion of this activity is beyond the direct control of Dyfed-Powys Police. · Through previous increases in the precept, the Force has been able to ensure investment in their Criminal Justice department, in addition to initiatives such as the File Bill Project launched in September 2025. · As part of this project, it focuses on ensuring the Criminal Justice Department can support individual officers in promptly improving the quality of files for presentation at court, particularly in instances where the Crown Prosecution Service raises other lines of enquiry. Within the project’s first phase, which focused on Domestic Abuse cases success has been noted in improving responsiveness. · The project’s second phase, due to be launched soon, will apply to all types of file cases and is expected to result in a 51% reduction in internal actions undertaken by officers. · Investment in the stage between the Force's officer investigation and the preparation and presentation of that investigation's case file at Court helps improve the quality of the file and the timeliness of its response. This ensures the Force is in a favourable position to respond to any potential changes. · A charging authority pilot launched last year, composed of six Forces working with the National Police Chiefs' Council, the Home Office, and the CPS, is another example focused on reducing delays and improving outcomes for victims. · A joint national inspection by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) in July 2025 examined police and Crown Prosecution Service case-building practices nationally. The inspection further evidence that Forces are taking steps to future-proof their processes amid potential changes by the Ministry of Justice, with a focus on reducing the time taken to progress investigations to court. The Panel raised a supplementary question regarding the rationale for publishing the reform proposals, to which the Commissioner responded.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that the report be received.
[NOTE: Mrs H. Thomas having earlier declared an interest in this matter, remained in the meeting during its consideration and voted]. Following the Panel's request to the Commissioner for reports outlining the progress made in delivering the priorities set out in the Police and Crime Plan, members received a progress report related to Priority 2 for review. In presenting the report on the progress made on the priority objective of 'Supporting Safe Communities by Preventing Harm', the Commissioner noted that significant progress had been made in achieving it, evident through the Force's use of a visible, preventative problem-solving approach to Policing. Particular reference was made to the Strategic Performance Board's role as an open and transparent forum for monitoring its progress. The Commissioner added further emphasis on improvements in 'Crime volumes, outcomes and data integrity' over the past 18 months, 'Diversion and treatment activities', and the reduction in both shoplifting and anti-social behaviour offences as key indicators of progress on the priority. The following questions or matters were raised by the Panel: • In response to a question about ensuring the continuity of provision with Community Safety partnerships, the Commissioner advised that regular dialogue is taking place with relevant individuals within the Force to ensure responsibility is assumed in this area, given that the Chief Constable intends to develop many avenues in relation to these partnerships. • A question was raised regarding what mechanisms are in place to ensure consistent improvement and performance across all actions within the Priority. The Commissioner advised that various business processes help mitigate these, as the Force's operational landscape, particularly in rural areas, does lend itself to variances emerging. It was further emphasised that the Strategic Performance Board is also a practical forum for discussing these variances and ensuring that work is undertaken to navigate them accordingly. • The Panel expressed their approval with the transparency and effectiveness of the scrutiny within the Strategic Performance Board, with the Commissioner adding their intention to continue with this approach moving forward. • The Commissioner advised that the Chief Constable would assume additional responsibilities across Wales in relation to youth justice and ensuring a focus on education to reduce anti-social behaviour and improve behaviour. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be received.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that the report be received.
[NOTE: Mrs H. Thomas having earlier declared an interest in this matter, remained in the meeting during its consideration and voted]. The Panel considered a report on decisions the Commissioner made between the 5th of August 2025 and the 16th of January 2026. Section 28 (6) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 requires all decisions and actions undertaken by the Commissioner to be reviewed in alignment with the discharge of his functions, with reports and recommendations related to those decisions and actions to be made as considered appropriate by the Panel to the Commissioner. The following questions or concerns were raised by the Panel: · In relation to the potential impact of disbanding the PCC role, as outlined in the Police Governance Whitepaper, on Tier 2 substance misuse service funding in Hywel Dda Area Planning Board, the Commissioner noted that, as there is no detail on Commissioning within the publication, the impact is currently unclear. Further ambiguity can also be attributed to the devolved nature of Area Planning Boards; however, the PCC assured the Panel of their focus on ensuring provision is in place to maintain continuity in this domain, with an update to be provided to the Panel at a future meeting. · As it is part of a task and finish arrangement, it is expected that the County Lines research with Aberystwyth University will conclude before the disbandment of the PCC role in 2028. · The Commissioner noted that work is being undertaken to ensure engagement with the 'Reflective Stickers for Agricultural Vehicles' initiative, which is part of a wider focus by Dyfed-Powys Police on tackling rural crime. · A question was raised as to why some figures from certain revenue streams were not included in the report. The Commissioner noted that vigilance was required when deciding which figures to disclose for commercial reasons. The Commissioner also stated that a comprehensive report would be presented to the Panel, providing an overview of how revenue generated from these various streams supports prudent investments, as well as a further productivity report on the Force to assess whether these streams provide value for money. · In relation to investments made for HMICFRS inspections, the Commissioner advised that these investments are intended to help the Force demonstrate a sufficient level of performance across various types of HMICFRS inspections, including thematic and national inspections. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be received.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that the report be noted.
[NOTE: Mrs H. Thomas having earlier declared an interest in this matter, remained in the meeting during its consideration and voted]. The Panel received a performance report for review in relation to the Policing Protocol Order for Quarter 3 of the 2025/2026 financial year. In presenting the report, a change in performance of several actions had been noted – with 4 moving from Green to Amber, and 1 from Amber to Green. No red performance of actions were noted for the quarter. The following questions or concerns were raised by the Panel: · In response to a question regarding whether the shift from Green to Amber for actions including the critical governance functions was related to capacity or timing, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) noted that this was primarily an issue of timing. Similar to other actions outlined in the report that changed performance, this timing was attributed to the annual set of activities undertaken by the OPCC, such as the review of the Corporate Governance Framework. · Upon the Panel's view that some indicators should be listed as Green rather than Amber, both the Commissioner and the OPCC's Chief Executive agreed with this. However, while there was capacity for these to be listed as Green, some aspects underpinning these indicators meant they had to be measured as Amber. · In relation to website updates, the Panel noted that the Dyfed-Powys Police website appeared to be out of date. The Commissioner noted that this would be fed back to the Force to ensure it is updated as required. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be noted.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that the report be noted.
[NOTE: Mrs H. Thomas having earlier declared an interest in this matter, remained in the meeting during its consideration and voted]. The Panel received the progress report of the OPCC's Business Plan for Quarter 3 of the 2025/2026 financial year. The report outlined the progress made in delivering the business plan's requirements in alignment with the priorities of the Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan. As the activities of the business plan are coordinated on an annual basis, due to the proposed reforms to Police Governance, this is expected to have an impact on how the OPCC undertakes activities contained within the business plan for the upcoming year, due to having to build the necessary capacity to manage the expected changes. The Panel was assured that the OPCC holds regular meetings and has planned activities to assess the potential impact on the business plan resulting from the proposed reforms, with a focus on ensuring an optimal balance between building capacity to work on transition plans and delivering on the Police and Crime Plan's commitments. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be noted.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that the briefing be noted.
[NOTE: Mrs H. Thomas having earlier declared an interest in this matter, remained in the meeting during its consideration and voted]. The Panel received a briefing from the Commissioner outlining the key details of the proposals put forward by the UK Government in its Police Governance reform white paper published on the 26th January 2026. In presenting the report, the Commissioner acknowledged that the proposals, which focus on a visible, preventative policing approach embedded in local communities with national and central support, are welcomed. However, certain aspects of the proposals within the publication are harder to appease due to insufficient detail on many variables. This includes the governance of holding Chief Constables accountable and the size of Police Forces, particularly on how reducing the total number of forces or merging Forces will work operationally, constitutionally and contextually in Wales. The Commissioner noted that the Force had already briefed its workforce internally on the proposed reforms, and that the OPCC had followed suit by publishing an FAQ document. While it is expected that the proposals will change, the Commissioner stated that they endeavour to make representations to the UK Government to help influence and ensure that the context of Welsh policing is accounted for in any finalised reforms. In response to a question about whether Panel members could participate in discussions on the proposed reforms, the Commissioner advised that they were unable to identify an appropriate forum at this stage to provide insight and feedback. However, the Commissioner indicated that the Panel would be apprised of any developments and advised that if an opportunity arose to seek the Panel's input. UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the briefing be noted.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to note the appointment of Mrs Nicola Davies as Chief Financial Officer of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
[NOTE: Mrs H. Thomas having earlier declared an interest in this matter, remained in the meeting during its consideration and voted]. The Panel received a report for consideration and review of the proposed appointment of the OPCC's new Chief Finance Officer (CFO). Paragraphs 9 to 12 of Schedule 1 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 require the PCC to formally notify and recommend to the Panel their proposed candidate for the CFO position. The Panel is required to review the proposed appointment and make recommendations as considered appropriate. In alignment with the Panel's statutory function of being able to ask questions relating to the appointment, four formal questions were raised to the proposed candidate on the following themes: · Qualifications & Skills. · Leading Strategic Change. · Leading the Workforce. · Managing Performance. The Commissioner's proposed appointment provided comprehensive responses to each of these four questions, citing examples from their extensive experience in Police Finance across these four thematic areas. Following the responses provided, the Panel were assured that the Commissioner's proposed appointment for the CFO position – Mrs Nicola Davies, had the required skills and experience for the role. As such, the Panel were in favour of confirming the appointment, with the Panel's Lead Officer delegated the responsibility to write to the Commissioner confirming the formal recommendation of appointment. The Chair, on behalf of the Panel, extended congratulations to the candidate on their appointment and wished them success in their new role. UNANAMOUSLY RESOLVED to note the appointment of Mrs Nicola Davies as Chief Financial Officer of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
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