A total of 93 extra officers have been recruited by Gwent Police under the government’s campaign that started in September 2019.
Gwent Police has so far recruited just three more officers per month under the scheme. To meet the Conservatives’ own target of 206 by March 2023, that rate would have to increase to 8 per month over the next 15 months.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have slammed the government for failing to keep their promise to communities, adding that there needs to be a return to full and proper community policing.
“
People across Gwent are being let down and taken for granted by this Conservative government. With so many local crimes going unsolved, we desperately need more police on our streets and in our communities.’’
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and known personally to local people. We also want to see policing and justice devolved to Wales so we can take these decisions ourselves.
The police do an excellent job and work hard to keep us safe. But they need the resources from Government to continue to do that well.
The Conservatives’ pledge to boost police officer numbers looks set to become yet another of their broken promises. They are letting down victims of crime and our communities right across our area.
Monmouthshire Cllr Jo Watkins