Statement from Chief Constable Simon Prince re. Dyfed Powys Police joining NPAS

Chief Constable Simon Prince said: “Dyfed Powys Police will join NPAS on January 1, 2016.

“Long and detailed discussions have led to this agreement and now Dyfed Powys Police will be working closely with NPAS to ensure the service change runs smoothly for the public we serve.

“I am pleased that the Pembrey site has been retained as a Forward Operating Base as this will improve NPAS response times within Dyfed Powys.

“I will be closely monitoring the performance of NPAS to ensure it provides the level of service that our communities and staff require.

“All the Helicopter Support Unit staff past and present are thanked for their hard work and commitment in providing an essential service to our communities since 1990, saving many lives and assisting in bringing numerous offenders to justice.”

• On 1st January 2016, Dyfed-Powys Police will join the National Police Air Service (NPAS).
• The original NPAS proposals date back as far as 2010 when there were scheduled to be 22 air bases across England and Wales, one of which was the Dyfed-Powys Police base in Pembrey.
• Due to austerity measures the original model changed to a proposed 15 air base model with the proposed closure of the base at Pembrey. The migration to NPAS was originally scheduled for April 2015 but was subsequently changed to January 2016.
• The purpose of the National Police Air Service is to provide a national, borderless air service to all police forces in England and Wales.
• The National Police Air Service is able to provide 24 hour coverage and is able to move its fleet around England and Wales to ensure that there is operational coverage if an aircraft is out of service.
• The NPAS fleet will consist of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft which will become part of their fleet in mid-2016.