Monmouth MP David Davies recently completed a parliamentary scheme in which MPs are placed with their local police force for about 20 days in order to gain a first hand insight into how policing works.
Mr Davies said: “This scheme is an excellent way to find out for oneself how policing works. I was able to meet with senior officers as well as those in charge of various specialist squads which deal with issues such as domestic violence, drugs, computer crime and fraud. I spent a Saturday night seeing the drunken violence which the police have to deal with on a regular basis, and a weekday afternoon with plain clothes officers watching heroin being openly sold on the streets. This drug is having a horrendous impact on local communities and I am firmly of the belief that drug dealers should face automatic prison sentences.
""Overall I believe that we are well served by Heddlu Gwent Police, and in Mike Tongue we have an excellent Chief Constable. In the eight years that I have been an Assembly Member I have had very few complaints about the organisation.
""I am a firm believer that politicians should get out of their offices to find out what is going on in policy areas and not simply get their information from reading reports. The placement with Heddlu Gwent Police has taught me a great deal about the way in which law and order is maintained. I hope to be able to use some of this experience to get changes to the Offender Management Bill which is being discussed in Parliament at the moment. Overall I believe that we are well served by Heddlu Gwent Police, and in Mike Tonge we have an excellent Chief Constable. In the eight years that I have been an Assembly Member I have had very few complaints about the organisation.
""Frontline officers are enthusiastic about proactively going after criminals, but sadly many feel let down by politicians of all political parties. There is too much bureaucracy and paperwork. Some of it is important but some could be dispensed with. For example if the police merely talk to someone they have to fill out a long form. It is also frustrating for police officers to spend weeks getting together enough evidence to convict a criminal only for the courts to impose a community sentence which puts the offender straight back onto the streets to continue committing crimes. I am also concerned that in spite of announcements about extra police there are worryingly few frontline officers available to respond to emergency calls, particularly in rural areas. ""