South Wales Police Heddlu De Cymru |
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Logo of the South Wales Police
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Agency overview | |
Formed | 1969 |
Annual budget |
£249M 2012-13 |
Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction* | Police area of Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and Vale of Glamorgan unitary authority areas, UK |
South Wales Police operations area | |
Size | 2,074 km² |
Population | 1,227,200 |
General nature |
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Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Bridgend |
Police Constables |
2,862 (of which 99 are Special Constables) |
Police Community Support Officers | 400 |
Police and Crime Commissioner responsible | Alun Michael,(L) |
Agency executive | Peter Vaughan, Chief Constable |
Divisions |
4 °Eastern °Western °Central °Northern |
Facilities | |
Stations | 43 |
Total vehicles | 773 |
Boats | --- |
Helicopters | 1 |
police dogs | --- |
Website | |
www.south-wales.police.uk | |
Footnotes | |
* Police area agency: Prescribed geographic area in the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. |
£249M
2,862 (of which 99 are Special Constables)
4 °Eastern °Western °Central
South Wales Police (Welsh: Heddlu De Cymru) is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. Its headquarters is based in Bridgend.
Covering Wales' capital city, Cardiff, as well as Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, and the western South Wales Valleys, it is the largest police force in Wales in terms of population, and the seventh largest in the UK.
In February 2014, SWP introduced a requirement that anyone wishing to become a police constable first studies for the certificate in knowledge of policing before applying for the role. SWP is the first force in Wales, and only a handful in the UK to introduce this.
South Wales Police employ 2,862 sworn officers.
In recent years, special constables have not been recruited although about 100 remain throughout the force. There was a recruitment drive for specials in June 2014.
South Wales Police employ 400 unsworn PCSOs who are posted throughout the force area. They are mostly funded by the Welsh government.
Approximately 1,631 support staff are employed by the force. Their roles vary widely from call handlers to crime scene investigators.
Police Support Volunteers are used to support police officers. South Wales Police currently have 285 Police Support Volunteers which is their maximum capacity.
The force was formed as South Wales Constabulary (the name was changed in 1996) on 1 June 1969 by the amalgamation of the former Glamorgan Constabulary, Cardiff City Police, Swansea Borough Police and Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police. In 1974, with the re-organisation of local government, the force's area was expanded to cover the newly created Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and West Glamorgan.