UPDATE 9.10am: Gwent's Police and Crime Commissioner Ian Johnston has confirmed that Gwent Police chief constable Carmel Napier is to retire.

"At this stage I wish to acknowledge the 30 years of public service that she's given in four different police forces in England and Wales.

"I respect her decision to retire and wish her a long and happy retirement."

The Argus asked Mr Johnston about apparent recent tensions between Mr Johnston and Ms Napier over crime statistics.

"I'm not going there," he said. "She's got 30 years service and she's entitled to retire."

 

 

 

GWENT’S chief constable is to retire, the Argus can reveal.

Carmel Napier will announce her decision later this week and will leave the force imminently.

The Argus understands Mrs Napier only revealed her decision to Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner Ian Johnston and her senior management team in the last few days.

Mrs Napier has been with the Gwent force since 2008 and was appointed chief constable in 2011.

She has been a police officer since 1983.

No reasons had been given for her decision to retire as we went to press tonight.

There have appeared to be tensions between Mrs Napier and Mr Johnston – a former head of CID in Gwent – since his election as Gwent’s first PCC last year.

Last month a war of words broke out between the two over crime figures.

In an interview with the Argus, Mr Johnston suggested some crimes were being recorded incorrectly leading to some figures looking better than they were.

Mrs Napier responded by saying such views risked damaging morale among police officers.

The Argus understands a formal announcement of Mrs Napier’s retirement will be made before the end of this week.

Last night Gwent Police would make no comment, other than to say Mrs Napier and Mr Johnston were both on annual leave.

Long career in British police forces

MRS NAPIER joined Gwent Police in September 2008 when she was appointed deputy chief constable.

She was promoted to chief constable in 2011 following the retirement of Mick Giannasi.

During Mrs Napier’s time in charge of Gwent Police, the force has reported the biggest reduction in recorded crime six times during quarterly crime reports of the past few years.

She is the national lead on domestic abuse for England and Wales and speaks on the issue for the Association of Chief Police Officers, and last year backed the idea of a single police force for Wales if it meant providing a better service.

But she has also hit the headlines for less favourable reasons.

In 2012 she was criticised by trade union Unison for accepting a £6,500 bonus at a time when many of its members feared redundancy.

She was the only chief constable in Wales to accept the bonus, which was five per cent of her £133,068 salary. The money was awarded for hitting performance targets in 2011/12, but others, including the force’s deputy chief constable Jeff Farrar turned it down.

From September 1, 2010 Mrs Napier was seconded for six months to lead an all- Wales collaboration on serious and organised crime, counter terrorism and other regional specialist investigative activities across Wales.

Before coming Gwent she spent two years as Assistant Chief Constable at Essex Police. Prior to that in 2000 she was at North Yorkshire Police initially as Superintendent in charge of the complaints and professional standards department, but was later promoted to Detective Chief Superintendent, head of crime and specialist operations, and eventually to Temporary Assistant Chief Constable.

She started her policing career in 1983 at Hertfordshire Constabulary, where she served for 17 years.