South Wales Police provides policing services to the areas of West, South and Mid-Glamorgan. The police force area covers 803 square miles with approximately 150 miles of coastline in the south of Wales. Although there are some more affluent areas, South Wales has a high level of poverty. Around 1.3 million people mainly live in the urban centres which include the cities of Cardiff and Swansea as well as smaller towns. The resident population is increased by university students and the large numbers who visit, socialise in, commute into, or travel through the area each year. The transport infrastructure includes major rail stations, air and sea ports.
HMICFRS independently assesses police forces and policing across activity from neighbourhood teams to serious crime and the fight against terrorism – in the public interest.
In preparing our reports, we ask the questions which citizens would ask, and publish the answers in accessible form, using our expertise to interpret the evidence. We provide authoritative information to allow the public to compare the performance of their force against others, and our evidence is used to drive improvements in the service to the public.
Force Area |
803 square miles | |
Population |
1.30m people | 7% local 10 yr change |
Workforce |
76% frontline | 78% national level |
| 3.9 per 1000 population | 3.6 national level | |
| 4% change in local workforce since 2010 | 15% national change since 2010 |
Victim-based crimes |
0.06 per person | 0.06 national level |
| Local 5 year trend (no change) | National 5 year trend (no change) |
Cost |
57p per person per day local | 55p per person per day national |
Alun Michael
Chief Constable Matt Jukes QPM, appointed in January 2018
