The biggest change to the way the police service is run in England and Wales is just six months away, when people will have the opportunity to vote for their first ever local Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

People living in the Dyfed Powys Police Force area will be given the opportunity to have their say on policing by voting for their preferred candidate on November 15.

The key role of the PCC will be to set the strategic direction of the police force. Many of their duties will extend beyond those of Police Authorities' to include commissioning of services and improved partnership working with criminal justice partners.

The Chief Constable will retain operational independence and will continue to deliver policing services that meet the priorities set by the PCC on behalf of communities.

Delyth Humfryes, Chair of Dyfed Powys Police Authority, said, "I think it's important that we all understand that the PCC is a major change to the way policing is governed and scrutinised in England and Wales.

"Effective policing of our communities protecting the public from crime and anti-social behaviour is a vitally important public service. Dyfed Powys Police has a reputation for excellent performance which has been scrutinised by the Police Authority over many years.

"I hope whoever becomes the PCC for Dyfed Powys will be able to carry on the positive legacy from the Police Authority, so that people living and working in Mid and West Wales will continue to receive a first class policing service."

The changes come as the force looks at way of adapting its services to better meet demand following an internal review into how the it deals with the way the public contact them.

The review reveals people have changed how they contact the police and shows that fewer people are attending police stations, a trend the force foresees is likely to increase in future due to changes in people's behaviour and developments in new technology used by the force.

The force is developing alternative ways of engaging with the public through mobile police stations, increased use of mobile data equipment by police officers, holding extra police surgeries and working with partner agencies.

In the next year 74 extra PCSOs funded by the Welsh Government will join the 20 who are already in post throughout the area.

The force is also proposing to use existing resources in a more efficient and cost effective way but stresses that this does not mean the withdrawal of policing services from any of its areas but could mean changes to the way it provides some services.

Dyfed Powys Police, Chief Constable Ian Arundale, said, "The Review highlights the changing way the public access our services and we need to acknowledge and adapt to this in order to provide the best possible service for our residents.

"The Force is always looking at ways to improve its service to the public and these proposed changes will help us achieve that while also reducing costs to meet the coalition Government's cost reduction target for the Force of over £13 million by 2015/16.

"Providing alternative convenient ways for people to contacts us in their communities will also help us to protect front line police officer roles and enable us to redeploy some staff to carry out other key tasks.

"During times of austerity we must focus on providing more convenient and efficient alternatives for people to contact us. In some cases this could mean changing facilities that are rarely being used and developing other ways for people to contact us. For instance, through mobile police stations, police surgeries and working with partner agencies."

Delyth Humfryes, Chair of Dyfed Powys Police Authority, said, "In the current economic climate the police service has to change the way it delivers services against a backdrop of large cuts in Government funding. However, the Authority and the Force is committed to ensuring Dyfed Powys Police deliver the best possible service to our communities with the resources we have."