Police are appealing for information following the theft of uniform from a panda car in Cardiff.

The incident happened in Pwllmelin Road near Fairwater Rugby Club at around 10.30pm on Monday 5^th August while officers were responding to an incident in the area.

Their vehicle was broken into and a bag containing police uniform was stolen. No police identification or warrant card was stolen.

Any member of the public who wants to check the identity of a police officer should always ask to see identification.

Anyone with information about the theft or the whereabouts of the stolen property should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

South Wales Police today announced the appointment of Matt Jukes as the force’s Deputy Chief Constable.

 Mr Jukes joined South Wales Police in 2010 as an Assistant Chief Constable responsible for specialist crime matters. He has also been active in collaboration, establishing a joint scientific support unit, leading several high profile counter terrorism operations and overseeing the regional organised crime unit, Tarian.

 He takes over the position of Deputy Chief Constable following Colette Paul’s promotion to Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police.

 South Wales Chief Constable, Peter Vaughan made the announcement from force headquarters in Bridgend and said,

 “I have worked closely with Matt for the last three years and know his vast amount of operational experience and expertise and his diverse knowledge and range of skills are of great benefit to the force and the public of South Wales.

 “As a senior member of my management team, Matt has played a key part in the performance improvements achieved over the last few years.

 “The experience and strategic foresight that Matt brings to the role of deputy Chief Constable provides a continuity that is of great benefit and adds further strength to an already strong senior team.”

 Deputy Chief Constable Jukes, 40, joined the police service in 1995. He served with South Yorkshire Police for 15 years, where his last role was as Divisional Commander for Rotherham. He has undertaken a number of specialist roles and is the national lead on the police role in countering cyber terrorism. He has also worked nationally with forces and industry to tackle commercial robbery and with partners in the health service in Wales, particularly on mental health issues.

 Now Deputy Chief Constable, Matt has responsibility for performance, planning and the organisation’s change management programme, as well as overseeing the Corporate Communications and Professional Standards Departments.

 On taking up his new position, he said:

 “It is a great privilege to be appointed Deputy Chief Constable and I’m delighted by the opportunity to continue to serve the communities of South Wales in this new role.

 “Over the last three years, I have been consistently impressed by the force’s ability to respond to extraordinary operational demands and improve performance, at the same time as dealing with significant organisational change. This gives me real optimism for the period ahead, even as we face further challenges.

 “I look forward to supporting the Chief Constable and all the members of the force who are working hard to keep South Wales safe.”

Police investigating a robbery in Swansea on Wednesday 7th August are linking three other similar incidents.

 A 38-year-old woman was walking on Princess Way, near the Cross Keys public house at 8.45pm when a motorcycle with a rider and passenger rode up behind and snatched her cream coloured handbag, which contained a quantity of cash, driving licence, passport, and credit cards. It was then seen to drive off down Princess Way in the direction of York Street.

The motor cycle used is believed to be a dark coloured moped, and the only description of the suspects, is that both were wearing light coloured crash helmets.

 Officers are investigating a similar incident which happened at around 8.30pm on Wednesday 7th August when the 35-year-old female victim was stood at Woodfield Street in Morriston opposite Iceland.

 Further incidents happened on Thursday 8^th August, at Caer Street at 8.50pm when the 19-year-old female victim was stood near Yates pub and then on New Cut Road at 9.35pm when the 17-year-old female victim was walking towards the city centre.

 Detective Sergeant Steve Daniels of Swansea CID said: “The four incidents are almost identical with females carrying bags or purses and apparently being targeted.

 “The incidents at Woodfield Street, Caer Street and New Cut Road were all attempted robberies where the victims managed to hold on to their property.

“We are appealing to any witnesses or anyone with information about these incidents to contact the police as those responsible need to be apprehended.”

 Anyone with information should contact Swansea Central CID on 01792 450618 or 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Working in partnership is the best way to tackle domestic violence, according to the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales, Sophie Howe.

A recent seminar held by Mrs Howe saw representatives from a number of organisations meet to discuss how the issue can be properly tackled.

Mrs Howe said: “Tackling violence against women and girls is not only an issue for the police, but the Welsh Government.  Therefore it is very important for as many partners as possible to be involved, so we can work together to challenge this often invisible crime.

“I am pleased with the progress made already, but know there is much more that can be done to overcome this issue, if we all work together.”

Amongst other things, a new Forum is being considered, made up of partners including Women’s Aid and the Welsh Government, and led by the Deputy Commissioner, to improve collaboration work.

Mrs Howe said: “There is a need for strong leadership on the domestic abuse agenda.  A dedicated forum may be one way of beginning this process, as it can provide a more integrated and accountable approach to the service provided by all partners – be it police, health or government.”

Other issues raised during the event was the need for a common approach for all partners that establishes how the best service should be provided.  Alongside this, there is a need for an effective approach for victims from the first contact to the end of required support.  Those attending also heard from a domestic abuse survivor, who spoke of her experience and the positive and negative aspects of the service she received.

Mrs Howe said: “Victims should be entitled to a consistent and appropriate service throughout their experience and for support to still be available after any conviction or perceived case closure.  Putting the victims at the heart of our work is a key priority for the Commissioner, Alun Michael.  I am determined to make sure this will happen in domestic abuse situations.”

Police in Cardiff are appealing for information about four burglaries which happened on the same day across the city.

 The incidents happened between midday and 3pm on Friday 12^th July when the living quarters of shops were targeted.

 Several men visited shops in Habershon Street in Splott, Colwinstone Street, Llandaff North, Cornwall Street, Grangetown, and Carlisle Street, Splott, and distracted staff before entering the private areas.

 At the Colwinstone Street burglary, several thousand pounds, cigarettes and jewellery were stolen. Nothing was stolen during the other three incidents.

 Police are linking all four incidents and have released CCTV images of five men who are wanted in connection with the offences.

 Detective Constable Kath Barry, based at Fairwater CID, said: “All these incidents have happened in the middle of the day when the men have made brazen efforts to enter the living areas of the shops to steal property.

 “I am appealing to anyone who has information which could help us identify these men to come forward.”

 Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

South Wales Police is appealing for information following an incident at Grove Terrace, Penarth in the early hours of today (Saturday, 17th August). 

A 69 year-old local man was found lying in the road with serious injuries at 1.30am.

Officers suspect he was hit by a vehicle which may not have stopped at the scene and has since failed to report the incident.

However it is also a possibility that he may have been the victim of an assault.

He is currently being treated at the University Hospital of Wales where he was admitted with serious injuries.

Police are appealing to anybody who have seen what happened to contact them.

In particular, they are urging the driver or the occupants of any vehicle that was involved in an incident at Grove Terrace last night to come forward immediately.

Acting Detective Inspector Paul Mason, said: ‘We can’t be sure what has happened but early indications suggest he was struck by a vehicle. If that is the case, the driver or passengers must to do the right thing and to come forward to explain what happened.’

The man was returning home from the Penarth Conservative Club where he had spent the evening.

Anyone with information can call the non emergency 101 number or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police in Cardiff are appealing for information on burglars who broke into the house of a man who had recently died.

The man’s family are extremely distressed by the break-in which they discovered on what would have been his birthday.

The burglars forced entry to the property in Clydesmuir Road, Tremorfa, through the back door and stole the boiler and copper piping.

It is believed the suspects would have taken the items through the back door, round the side of the house and out into the street presumably to load on to a van due to the size of the items.

Any witnesses to this are asked to contact police.

House to house enquiries have been carried out and the house has been examined by scenes of crime officers since the burglary was reported on Monday, August 19.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cardiff CID on 02920 527420 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting occurrence *260449.

ENDS.

Former detective constable Jeffrey Davies has today been dismissed from South Wales Police following a gross misconduct disciplinary hearing chaired by Chief Constable Peter Vaughan.

Earlier this month, Davies was convicted of sexual offences and sentenced to three years in prison.

Chief Constable Peter Vaughan said: “Jeffrey Davies was in a position of great trust but that trust was betrayed by his criminal behaviour. His actions were completely unacceptable and he has let down his colleagues and the communities he once served.

 “Davies displayed a gross abuse of position and power which will not be tolerated within policing.

 “The thorough and determined investigation carried out by South Wales Police and managed by the IPCC demonstrates our determination to tackle behaviour of this kind.”

A MAN has been banned from begging and entering Cardiff city centre as a result of a Crime-Related Anti-Social Behaviour Order (CRASBO) imposed on him for three years.

Darren Powell, 40, was made the subject of the order at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on August 23 to protect the public from his anti-social behaviour.
The three-year order bans him from begging anywhere within England and Wales and entering Cardiff city centre.

South Wales Police applied for the order which, if breached, carries on conviction a term of imprisonment for five years, a fine, or both.
PC Alex Bourner, Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator for Cardiff, said: “Darren Powell has been a prolific and persistent beggar within the city centre areas and most recently within the Cathays area.

“He would sit outside retail premises asking for members of the public for money and would become verbally aggressive if they refused him money.

“We have been working closely with Cardiff University as they have reported him being in or around their premises asking students for money.

“Begging continues to be a PACT priority for residents and businesses, and therefore we will continue to take action.”

Anti social behaviour orders give individuals an opportunity to abide by the conditions and to change their behaviour.
We would urge the public to continue reporting all incidents of anti-social behaviour and if they believe the terms of an ASBO are being broken, they should contact the police on 101.

Police in Merthyr are appealing to the public to help them find wanted man Dafydd Merkel.

 The 27 year-old is wanted in connection with a burglary which occurred in Aberfan last month.

 Officers suspect he may be in the Treharris area, but he also has links to Gwent areas where he is also wanted by police.

 Anyone who has seen him, or who knows where he is, is urged to call South Wales Police’s 101 number or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police in Barry are appealing for witnesses following an attempted robbery which happened at around 4am on Saturday 21st September.

The 23-year-old female victim was walking home after a night out when she was approached by a man who tried to steal her mobile phone.

The incident occurred on O’Donnell Road close to the junction with Robins Lane.

The suspect is described as being white, aged in his 20s or 30s, around 5ft 5ins in height, of average build. He spoke with a local accent and is described as having a deep voice. It is believed that the man was intoxicated.

He was wearing dark coloured bottoms, a light blue hooded top with the hood up and white trainers. He ran off after he failed to grab the phone from her.

Police are continuing their investigation into the incident and are appealing for any witnesses or anyone who recognises the suspect from the description to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Gwent Police is re-appealing for information to help locate Jon Marc Stephens who failed to return to HMP Prescoed.

Stephens, who has convictions for robbery, was on day release on September 22^nd and did not return at the allotted time.

Stephens is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, of slim build with short dark brown hair. He is not a sex offender.

It’s believed there may be a potential risk due to the fact that he is no longer in the custody of the prison service.

Gwent Police has activated its operational plan with the aim of locating him and the prison is co-operating fully with us.

Anyone who sees Stephens or has any information about his whereabouts is advised not to approach him but to ring Gwent Police on 01633 838111 quoting log 456 22/09/13.

En

Four Sandbach men who committed a sustained, brutal and violent attack on a man have been sentenced to a combined 32 years in prison.

Lee Michael Brown, 26, from Platt Avenue, Timothy Paul Brown, 21, also from Platt Avenue, Nicholas Edmonstone, 21, from Bath Street, Sandbach and Luke Walklate, 19, from Dean Close, Sandbach, all pleaded guilty to Section 18 Wounding with Intent at an earlier hearing.On 13 December 2013, they were sentenced to eight years each.

South Wales Police is appealing for information to locate wanted man Brian Anthony Ward.

He absconded during a trial at Newport Crown Court on 14th November where he appeared charged with a historic sexual offence.

The court found him guilty and a warrant was issued for his immediate arrest.
Anyone who may have seen Brian Ward, who is 57 years-old from Pontyclun, is urged to contact Porth CID via South Wales Police’s non emergency 101 number or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The Dyfed-Powys Police helicopter is temporarily out of action due to a gearbox issue.

Emergency air coverage for the force is being provided by the South Wales and Gwent police helicopter.

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon said: “The helicopter gearbox has an issue, discovered in routine maintenance on December 6.

“The aircraft is due to be back in action next week (note: w/c Dec 23) but the work will leave us with a repair bill of around £250,000. This will be funded from Dyfed-Powys’s annual policing budget.

“With our aircraft down, we have an agreement with the South Wales Police and Gwent Police to use their helicopter in case of emergency. Police forces routinely share in this way when aircraft are being serviced or repaired.

“As is widely known, I am negotiating with NPAS, the National Police Air Service, regarding the future provision of a helicopter service for Dyfed-Powys.

“Our NPAS agreement, when finalised, will allow us to avoid such one-off repair costs and will offer us a service that’s at least as effective as that we have now.”

Dyfed-Powys Police is geographically the largest force in England and Wales. The force has a nine-year-old fourth generation Augusta 109e Power helicopter. It is used in cases such as searches for missing people, suspects and vehicles, casualty evacuation, transporting specialist teams and gathering intelligence.

To search a square mile of land can take 12 police officers more than 450 hours. A helicopter takes 12 minutes to search the same area.

The repair issue is unconnected with the November 29 Glasgow helicopter crash and the subsequent precautionary grounding of 21 police and air ambulance Eurocopter EC135 Type 2 helicopters.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating South Wales, South Yorkshire and Bedfordshire Police in connection with their handling of allegations that the lead singer of the Lostprophets was abusing children.

The IPCC is investigating the effectiveness of their response to reports of abuse made to them between 2008 and 2012.

In January 2013, the IPCC began an independent investigation into South Wales Police to establish whether or not the force failed to take appropriate and timely actions in relation to information that they were in receipt of prior to Mr Watkins’ arrest in November 2012. This followed an internal review by South Wales Police.

The IPCC is considering reports made to South Wales Police dating back to October 2008 and whether the enquiries conducted from this date onwards were appropriate under the circumstances. At this stage, the IPCC is aware of a number of reports made to the force from either members of the public, Crimestoppers or other police forces prior to Mr Watkins’ arrest in late 2012. A number of these reports originated from the same complainant.

At this stage, a significant part of the investigation is focused on the actions of one officer, a detective sergeant, who is also being investigated in a separate case where it is alleged he failed to act on an allegation that a 15 year old girl had been raped. The officer has been served with gross misconduct notices advising him that his conduct is subject to investigation.

While that officer’s conduct forms a large part of the investigation into SWP, the IPCC is considering the organisational response to the information held on Watkins and as further lines of enquiry are completed it is possible that other notices may be served.

Within the referral to the IPCC from South Wales Police, four other forces were named as having provided information to the force. We are examining what actions were taken by South Wales Police and whether they were appropriate and sufficient in the circumstances.

As a result of this, the IPCC wrote to South Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and Essex forces, and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), in February 2013 asking them to carry out a review of all the relevant information they held relating to the case. An additional letter was sent to West Yorkshire Police in March 2013 following the receipt of further information from South Wales Police.

The IPCC is now independently investigating complaints made against South Yorkshire Police and its handling of three reports made to the force between March and May 2012 which contained allegations against Mr Watkins with potential evidence.

Following a referral on 4 December 2013, the IPCC is also independently investigating Bedfordshire Police’s handling of information from a member of the public who reported an allegation of child abuse against Mr Watkins to the force in October 2012. The force Professional Standards Department initially investigated a complaint and found that no action was necessary and notified the complainant of their findings in September 2013. Bedfordshire Police has now received a further complaint that the member of the public is not satisfied with force’s actions in October 2012 and the IPCC has begun an independent investigation.

The IPCC has considered information provided to the investigation by West Yorkshire Police, Essex Police and the MPS. At this stage the IPCC is not investigating these three forces.

In March 2009, South Wales Police contacted officers from West Yorkshire public protection unit requesting that they carry out a video interview with a member of the public who had made allegations against Ian Watkins. The IPCC understands that all copies of the video recording were passed to South Wales Police for further actions as no offences were disclosed as taking place in the West Yorkshire area.

In October 2010, the MPS provided information outlining allegations against Mr Watkins to South Wales Police.

Essex Police contacted South Wales Police and passed on information containing allegations against Mr Watkins in April 2012.

IPCC Commissioner Jan Williams said:

“No-one can fail to be shocked by the vile details of Ian Watkins offending that emerged in court last month.

“As the criminal proceedings have now ended, questions are now rightly being asked as to whether Ian Watkins could have been brought to justice sooner, what steps were taken by police in response to allegations made against him as far back as 2008 and whether his celebrity status had any impact on the investigation.

“That is exactly what the IPCC is seeking to establish.

“We now have three separate independent investigations into South Wales, South Yorkshire and Bedfordshire Police running alongside each other involving the handling of information held on Mr Watkins prior to his arrest.

“But this is complex and will take time. There are clearly links between the three investigations which cover a four year period and involve numerous allegations and reports and the police response to each must be considered.

“South Wales Police is also continuing to appeal for any other witnesses or potential victims to contact them and therefore it is possible that new information may come to light which the IPCC would need to consider.”

The programme aims to maintain and improve frontline policing for the benefit of the public across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.

It comes as central government funding to Dyfed-Powys falls by £23.5m from 2010-18 and as the region’s 2014 council tax policing precept rise is due to be set.

The process, known as Public First, will include a reshaping of professional support services, currently delivered by a civilian workforce of 823 employees.

It is possible that around 118 posts will go but Chief Constable Simon Prince and Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon are determined that redundancies will be minimised and that the public will benefit from an improved police service.

A review of the operational policing structure will start towards the end of this month. Already, the force – geographically the biggest in England and Wales – has illustrated its commitment to community policing by announcing the creation of 30 new police constable posts, improved public access to police and the development of a rural strategy.

Mr Prince, who will lead the change programme, said: “Our new structure will see us continue to put the public first in all that we do.

“Our civilian support services will be resourceful, agile, lean, adaptable and flexible. They must deliver efficient and effective support to frontline policing.”

Mr Salmon, who will scrutinise the change programme, said: “The public, under pressure financially themselves, constantly tell me they want strong frontline policing. In modernising and streamlining our support services we will enable the police to do policing. The public can be assured that a great deal of thought and consideration has been given to these proposals.”

Staff and managers have been informed of support service proposals which include improved training opportunities and working environments, less bureaucracy, new employment terms and conditions for all support staff, a simpler management structure and fewer departments. All staff are currently employed by the Commissioner. From April all but 16 will be employed by the Chief Constable.

The views of department heads will be sought and they will play a key role in forming their new teams through a competitive interview process.

Mr Prince said: “We seek to put the right people with the right skills in the right jobs.”

Formal consultation has begun with trade union Unison on the proposed civilian structure and its impacts on staff. Notice has been issued under Section 188 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

Of the possible post losses, around 38 will come through not filling vacancies. Voluntary redundancy applications will be considered and police staff are being encouraged to apply for police officer and PCSO roles.

The projected number of redundancies is 55. Mr Prince said: “I intend to reduce the number of redundancies to a minimum – and no PCSOs will face redundancy.”

Regular updates will be given to staff, an email question and answer service is open to them and region-wide advice sessions are planned this week.