The police and crime commissioner candidates for Gwent

Four people have put their names forward to be the police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Gwent. Each of the four main political parties are represented.

Police and crime commissioner elections are taking place in Wales on Thursday, May 2. The role of a PCC is to make sure that the local police in their area is meeting the needs of the community as well as cutting crime and delivering an effective and efficient police service within their police force area.

They are elected by the public to hold chief constables and the police force to account on their behalf. The Gwent PCC is paid £73,300 and serve a four-year term.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about police and crime commissioner elections in Wales

There are 39 police areas across England and Wales with a PCC. Each area has one commissioner and in Wales they represent:

• South Wales Police

• North Wales Police

• Gwent Police

• Dyfed-Powys Police

PCCs have four roles:

• Set the police budget and make sure it’s spent effectively

• Appoint the chief constables of the local police forces

• Engage with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans and organise projects within the community

• Work closely with the local council and other community organisations on these plans and projects

Jeff Cuthbert has been the PCC for Gwent since 2016. He is not seeking re-election.

The candidates in Gwent:

• Donna Cushing - Plaid Cymru

• Mike Hamilton - Welsh Liberal Democrats

• Hannah Jarvis - Welsh Conservatives

• Jane Mudd - Welsh Labour

We've asked each candidate to respond to a series of questions and they will be provided here as they are submitted.

Mike Hamilton - Liberal Democrats

Dr Mike Hamilton, 65, lives in Victoria ward, Newport. Originally an engineering officer in the merchant navy, then did a PhD in archaeology at cardiff-university>Cardiff University, and lectured in archaeology for a decade at Newport University. Formerly a ward councillor for Victoria in Newport and deputy leader of Newport City Council.

The role of commissioner is described as being to be the voice of the people in policing and to hold the force's chief constable to account - do you think that has been happening effectively?

PCCs have been a disaster. While supposed to be the "voice of the people in policing", they have ended up making excuses for police failures. Labour Jeff Cuthbert in Gwent and Alun Michael in South Wales are the worst offenders. Gwent Police has a major problem with a toxic canteen culture, which the current PCC has repeatedly tried to downplay, the infamous “few bad apples” defence. Instead the role of PCC has become a safe retirement option for superannuated failed politicians,

Liberal Democrat policy is to replace the PCC with a panel of councillors, which would have the powers of the current PCC. Unfortunately until Parliament abolishes the post we still have a problem of trying to rescue Gwent Police from the hole it finds itself. As somebody who watched his local area decline over the last 12 years due to police invisibility and inactivity, I found myself volunteering for the task.

What issues do you think have been and will be the most important for the people of the force area and what would you seek to ensure the force does to respond to those issues?

The simple answer is to solve more crime. There was a very negative report on Gwent Police by the Police Inspectorate in 2023, and one of the areas it rated as “requires improvement” was investigating crime. More resources and better planning (the report also criticised this) must go into solving crime. Currently only 6% of burglaries in Gwent result in a conviction.

Gwent Police should be building links with the public not hiding from them. We have seen a mass closure of police station front desks, and one of the worst 101 phone services in the UK. The Police Inspectorate report rated “Responding to the public” as “Inadequate”.

We need a return to community policing. Nothing discourages crime like police working with communities and being seen.

We need zero tolerance to crime. That means dealing with the minor stuff, because experience has shown that dealing with that, reduces all crime.

Why do you think the role is important?

As I said earlier, I would prefer a different scheme of locally managing the police, but this is the system we have, this is what we have to work with.

Yes, the role is important, the police have to have civilian oversight. To put the general public’s priorities as paramount. The police, like many professions, if left to their own devices, tend to gravitate to things they find more exciting. In Gwent community policing went into decline from 2012 onwards being replaced by what one former councillor calls “gang busting”, kicking down doors, etc. There is a role for “gang busting”, but the reason we are seeing more drug dealers is the invisibility of police in communities. One of the jobs of the PCC is to create a “police and crime plan” about priorities for the police - that must reflect what the public wants and what the public is paying for.

Hannah Jarvis - Welsh Conservatives

My name is Hannah Jarvis. I'm a 41 year old single mum of two from Abergavenny. I'm an army veteran and have since worked in the Civil Service, various jobs in both the UK and Welsh parliaments and I'm now a freelance public relations consultant.

The role of commissioner is described as being to be the voice of the people in policing and to hold the force's chief constable to account - do you think that has been happening effectively?

Unfortunately, no. And judging by the volume of correspondence I'm receiving from campaign groups, particularly victim-focussed ones, much of Gwent feels the same; they want to see change and their confidence restored.

What issues do you think have been and will be the most important for the people of the force area and what would you seek to ensure the force does to respond to those issues?

There are many issues that need tackling, anti-social behaviour, rural crime and county lines among them. Sadly, there also still appears to be a problem with sexual misconduct and misogyny within the force, but above all, victims of crime seem to feel they are not prioritised, which I will change. I will order a review into disciplinary procedures within the force and set a new agenda which prioritises victims.

Why do you think the role is important?

The police exist to serve and protect the public, but without a police and crime commissioner to hold the chief constable and the performance of their force to account, there is no real way to monitor this and make improvements where necessary. It is also vital the public has direct access to the force in terms of conveying their priorities, so the PCC must engage with and listen closely to the people of Gwent, then work their views into the fabric of their policing and crime plan accordingly, which is then for the chief constable to deliver.

Jane Mudd - Welsh Labour

I’m Jane Mudd, one of only four female local authority leaders in Wales; I’m the Labour leader of Newport City Council, Welsh Local Government Association Community Safety spokesperson, and Co-Chair of the Wales Safer Communities Board.

I’ve a wealth of experience of bringing people together to deliver during the toughest of times, having led Newport through the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. I live in Newport with my family and am actively involved in my local community. I’m a wife, mother, grandmother and Newport County AFC devotee. I’ve previously been awarded a PCC award for my partnership work on anti-social behaviour and have been recognised for my role in bringing the Knife Angel to Newport.

My professional background is in housing and regeneration. I’ve had significant leadership experience in this sector, going on to develop an academic career and was formerly the head of a university department.

The role of commissioner is described as being to be the voice of the people in policing and to hold the force's chief constable to account - do you think that has been happening effectively?

The PCC is there to represent the views of the public and hold the force to account on their behalf. I will listen to the views of the citizens that I represent, ensuring that their voices are heard, that their concerns are prioritised and that police leaders are held to account.

Systems and processes are in place to enable the scrutiny of police leaders and hold them to account. Clearly this has been happening but there is a lack of public awareness of this and there are questions around the effectiveness of this. I will strengthen these processes, making them more transparent, raising public awareness and increasing public engagement with these, taking full responsibility and accountability for this. Good policing demands transparency and accountability. We know that effective scrutiny is essential across all aspects of public service provision including policing. I will ensure that this is in place.

What issues do you think have been and will be the most important for the people of the force area and what would you seek to ensure the force does to respond to those issues?

Safe and sustainable communities need good policing. I know just how much we need to work together to build public confidence in policing, particularly in relation to equalities issues.

• I will focus on working with Gwent police, our citizens, partners and stakeholders to continue to build public confidence in policing and criminal justice, ensuring that policing is visible and connected to communities.

• I will prioritise safety at home, in work, in our communities and on our streets by:

• Ensuring Gwent Police tackle serious and organised crime, cracking down on anti- social behaviour

• Protecting the vulnerable, tacking violence against women and girls, addressing hate crime

• Focusing commissioning on early intervention and prevention, supporting initiatives aimed at preventing youth crime & supporting victims

• Supporting campaigns to protect retail and hospitality staff in the work place

I will embed these priorities in my Police and Crime Plan which Gwent Police will need to deliver.

Why do you think the role is important?

Good policing demands transparency and accountability and democratically elected police and crime commissioners offer the best route to securing these goals. The PCC acts as the custodian of the community, commissioning policing, support services and investing in intervention activities. All are important to building safe and sustainable communities.

The PCC is the voice of the people in determining these priorities and the voice of the people in holding police leaders to account for performance against these priorities. This is important because through the PCC, citizens are enabled to have genuine influence over establishing priorities for policing within the force area.

The PCC needs to have a strong effective voice and a visible presence across Gwent and I will bring this to this important role.

Donna Cushing, Plaid Cymru

I currently represent the Hengoed ward on Caerphilly County Borough Council. I’ve been a respected charity worker and campaigner for Disability Rights all my life and hope to to re-establish trust between police and the community, fight for fair funding for the force, and enhance victim support.

The role of commissioner is described as being to be the voice of the people in policing and to hold the force's chief constable to account - do you think that has been happening effectively?

I don't feel the incumbent PCC has performed this role effectively. I want to be PCC to enhance the reputation of Gwent Police and to act as a conduit between the police and the public, to call out injustices and to be honest to both the public and police. I consider myself an honest individual, as anyone who knows me can attest to, and will always speak up for my constituents.

What issues do you think have been and will be the most important for the people of the force area and what would you seek to ensure the force does to respond to those issues?

There are a number of issues facing Gwent Police if not most police forces and that is trust between the public and the police. Unfortunately, resources are restricted and I would endeavour to look for funding streams to establish proactive and preventative programmes. We all know there are a number of issues post pandemic and establishing why criminality happens would be my mission. And if there us anything within my remit I would do to ease the burden of victims. Every community has its own policing issues, therefore identifying and addressing the root causes will be a priority.

Why do you think the role is important?

The role of the PCC is vital as gives the communities of Gwent Police an independent elected voice to ensure that their concerns regarding policing and crimes are heard and subsequently relayed to Gwent police.