DYFED-POWYS Police has lost front-line off­icers over the last three years, while violent crime has increased in the area.

The Police Federation says that a reduction in the “eyes and ears” of England and Wales’ police services is causing communities to suffer.­

Figures from the Home Office show that 39 officers, in roles categorised as ‘visible operational front line’, have been lost from the force between March 2015 and this year – a drop of five per cent.

Over the same period, the number of violent crimes recorded in Dyfed and Powys increased by 99 per cent.

In the 12 months to March this year, 9,042 violent crimes were recorded.

In total, there were 742 officers in visible front-line roles this March. They include 48 neighbourhood officers, who are posted in the community to gather intelligence and provide help at the scene of crimes, and 510 incident response officers.

Across England and Wales, more than 7,000 visible front-line officers have been lost over the last three years, a reduction of 11 per cent.

The Home Office includes a number of other roles as ‘non-visible front line’, such as those involved intelligence-gathering operations. These increased in number in Dyfed-Powys from 245 in 2015 to 279 this year.

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