I’m determined to make South Wales the best place to live and work, having demonstrated the commitment and leadership to ensure that the South Wales has the best possible police service while preventing crime and harm wherever possible.

Full statement

Ours is one of the best performing police services in England and Wales – despite significant cuts to the Police Grant by successive Conservative Governments in Westminster.

I’ve protected neighbourhood policing – making the most of the additional PCSOs funded by our Welsh Labour Government – while leading innovation in tackling the causes of crime, such as substance misuse, childhood trauma and violence.

Domestic violence and abuse damages communities – so as well as supporting victims I’ve invested in challenging perpetrators through the Drive programme, which is cutting violence and damage within families.

I’ve built a strong team and ensured that our police have the resources they need. I’m determined to accelerate our prevention and early intervention work to deliver my Police and Crime Plan.

Cooperation is the golden thread – so I listen to people’s views, to ensure we are best delivering for our communities. Our officers and PCSOs have worked with people across South Wales through COVID-19, while I worked with Welsh Labour Ministers, Local Authorities and Voluntary Organisations – to maintain local policing while meeting increased demand.

I work hard to engage and meet the needs of all our diverse communities. I’m working with agencies across the Criminal Justice System to ensure offenders are brought to justice as quickly and effectively as possible.

I’m standing on my proven track record of delivery, my passion for preventing crime and to accelerate work with the strong leadership team I have built. I want every community in South Wales to be safe.