Did the Labour Party close Aberdare Police Station?
Aberdare police station, the last remaining facility in the Cynon Valley closed in 2013 the excuse given at the time was described by the then Assistant Chief Constable Julian Kirby who said officers were going out into the community more, seeing people at PACT meetings and visiting them in their homes, meaning fewer people were using station enquiry desks.
Photograph by https://cosmictigger.wordpress.com/category/south-wales/aberdare/page/61/
He went on to say many stations in the force area were “built to service a world that existed 50 or 60 years ago” and “no longer meet the needs of the public”.
Posted on AberdareOnline 1st October 2012 It was agreed that the Police Authority approved the disposal of buildings as surplus to requirements (Ton Pentre and Aberdare) at a meeting of the South Wales Police Authority on 13th February 2012. All Labour councillors resolved to support the move.
The meeting was chaired by none other than Cllr Russell Roberts (Labour), the former leader of the RCT council.
Aberdare Police Station remains closed you have to ask why as there are no PACT meetings because of the pandemic and it cannot be a financial reason as the it would appear the South Wales Authority to be well of economically.
Chief officers and senior managers
Is the South Wales Police Authority top-heavy? Taken from the South Wales Police website below.
Jeremy Vaughan was promoted to Chief Constable of South Wales Police in November 2020.
Jenny Gilmer joined South Wales Police in June 2018 as Assistant Chief Constable.
David Thorne was appointed Assistant Chief Constable in South Wales Police in June 2020.
Mark Travis was appointed Assistant Chief Constable in South Wales Police in June 2020.
Joanna Maal Temporary Assistant Chief Constable joined South Wales Police in 1995.
Chief Financial Officer Umar Hussain MBE
Director of People and Organisational Development Mark Stevenson
Special Constabulary Chief Officer Dale Cartwright
Catherine Llewellyn, Head of Communications
Clare Jones, Head of Estates
Deborah Williams, Assistant Director, Learning Development Services
David Holloway-Young, Assistant Director of Finance
Martin Smedley, Assistant Director of Information Services
Siân Freeman, Strategic Procurement Lead
Another layer of South Wales Police Management belongs to The Police and Crime Commissioner
South Wales Police & Crime Commissioner, Rt Hon Alun Michael
Alun Michael became the first Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales on the 22nd November 2012, and was re-elected for a second term on the 5th May 2016.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Emma Wools Salary: £74,112.00
Commissioner’s Chief Officers
The Police and Crime Commissioner has a legal duty to appoint two Chief Officers: a Chief of Staff and Chief Financial Officer.
Chief of Staff (Interim) – Lee Jones – Salary: £79,366.00
Chief Finance Officer – Peter Curran – Salary: £90,171.00
Other Staff
• Strategic Lead – Vulnerability and Victims x 1
• Strategic Lead – Criminal Justice x 1
• Strategic Lead – Commissioning, Substance Misuse and Mental Health x 1
• Strategic Lead – Scrutiny, Assurance & Equality x 1
• Strategic Lead – Standards and Compliance x 1
• Finance & Commissioning Manager x 1
• Policy Officers x 6
• Policy Officer/Researcher x 1
• Project and Policy Support Officers x 3
• Commissioning, Grants and Funding Officer x 1
• Business Manager x 1
• Principal Analyst x 1
• Executive Adviser and Support Officer x 1
• Engagement and Assurance Officer x 0.8
• Quality, Standards and Compliance Officer x 1
• Governance Support Officers x 2
• Commissioner’s PA X 1
• Administration Support Officers x 0.8
• Administration Assistants x 3.6
Total Staff: 32 (Including inward secondments, excludes external secondments)
https://www.southwalescommissioner.org.uk/en/your-commissioner/the-commissioner-s-team
Was it a coincidence the Aberdare Police Station closed as another tear of police management the Crime Commissioners department was instigated, well they had to help pay for it somehow, is it another coincidence that the current police commissioner is a labour politician. What did assistant Chief Constable Julian Kirby seeing people at PACT meetings?
Try typing in PACT meetings on the South Wales Police website and see what comes up.
Is there any real justification for not reopening Aberdare Police Station? It would appear there is adequate police staff to support it, but no politicians to back it.
Police community support officer (PCSO)
PCSOs are all about providing that vital link between the community and the police service to help make sure everyone has the support they need. Being a PCSO can be challenging, but it is also a role that includes variety, meaning and excitement.
You will be supporting frontline policing by undertaking tasks such as stopping speeding outside our schools, reporting vandalism or reducing anti-social behaviour – your work will make a real difference in keeping South Wales safe.
The South Wales force has almost 3000 police officers and over 2200 police staff, including Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and a team of dedicated volunteers that includes over 200 Special Constables and around 200 Police Youth Volunteers.
Labour-run Welsh Government ministers and Plaid Cymru backed the bill for 16 and 17-year-olds to vote but will not be eligible to vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections question is why not if they are responsible enough to vote for a Member of the Senedd what’s the difference voting for the Police and Crime Commissioner?
https://www.statista.com/statistics/877540/leading-police-forces-by-officer-numbers-in-the-uk
