Changes at the top for policing in Carmarthenshire

THE Carmarthenshire Division of Dyfed-Powys Police has a new leadership team to drive and manage policing in the county.  Superintendent Craig Templeton heads the division, supported by two Chief Inspectors – Jolene Mann and Chris Neve.

Superintendent Craig Templeton, who has been in post since the summer as Carmarthenshire’s Divisional Commander said: “I am delighted to welcome Chief Inspectors Jolene Mann and Chris Neve to support me in the senior leadership team within Carmarthenshire and I am confident they each bring a significant amount of knowledge, skills and experience with them which will enable us to continue delivering a first class service to our communities.  I have complete confidence that working with our colleagues we will provide the strong leadership we need to move forward. Both Chief Inspectors have previously worked in Carmarthenshire at different stages of their careers so they are acutely aware of some of the unique challenges we face in the county around geography for example and its blend of urban and rural communities.”

Chief Inspector Jolene Mann added: “As I am now responsible for the delivery of operational policing in Carmarthenshire, it will be my priority to ensure that we are responding effectively to calls from the public and that we are implementing real problem solving approaches to overcome any quality of life issues experienced in our communities. Carmarthenshire is a thriving county and I am committed to ensuring that it continues to be a safe place to live, work and visit.”

Chief Inspector Chris Neve went on to say: “Having responsibility for working with our strategic partners to achieve common goals and tackle serious and organised crime in the county, I will be working hard to ensure that we get the most out of our partnership working and collaborative opportunities. We’ll be tackling issues such as county lines and other serious crime issues head on through a proactive policing approach and by making best use of the resources we have available to us.  Having been born and bred in Carmarthenshire, I am passionate about doing the best for our communities by making sure we truly understand their needs and concerns and then tailoring our approach to solve those issues.”

The new Senior Leadership Team have implemented their vision of #WalkAboutWednesday which sees each of the three senior officers going on patrol with their staff across the county every Wednesday.  This will enable the senior officers to get a true understanding of the challenges and demands facing their staff on a weekly basis and allow them to put the appropriate measures in place to overcome those challenges and barriers identified.  They will also be attending a number of public engagement events in the coming weeks and seeking other engagement opportunities, in order for members of the community from all backgrounds to engage with them and tell them what they want their local policing teams to focus on.

Photo: (left to right) Chief Inspector Chris Neve, Superintendent Craig Templeton, Chief Inspector Jolene Mann