Independent Custody Visiting and Animal Welfare Scheme

Volunteer Visiting Schemes

The Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for volunteer visiting schemes, which aim to provide reassurance to our communities about how the police go about their day to day work.

In South Wales, the Commissioner is responsible for the statutory independent custody visiting scheme and the non-statutory animal welfare visiting scheme. The Commissioner appoints and trains volunteers from the local community to carry out unannounced visits to police stations and the police’s dog and horse mounted site.

Independent Custody Visiting Scheme

“Independent custody visiting is the well established system whereby volunteers attend police stations to check on the treatment of detainees and the conditions in which they are held and that their rights and entitlements are being observed. It offers protections and confidentiality to detainees and the police and reassurance to the community at large” (Code of Practice on Independent Custody Visiting, 2013).

With around 26,000 arrests leading to detention in South Wales during 2019/20, it is an effective community oversight of police custody and one aspect of the Commissioner’s overarching scrutiny and oversight role.

Animal Welfare 

The Animal Welfare visiting scheme involves volunteers reporting on the welfare of the police dogs and horses through fortnightly visits to South Wales Police’s dog and mounted site.

If you would like to contact us for more information about our volunteer visiting schemes, please email us at volunteer@south-wales.police.uk.