Gwent Police pays £200,000 to informants (From South Wales Argus)

Gwent Police pays £200,000 to informants

11:56am Monday 12th November 2012 in News

THE bill for paying informants by Gwent Police over the last five years was nearly £200,000, it has been revealed.

The force paid £193,760 for information, contributing to a total of almost £900,000 across the Welsh police forces.

The revelation comes after Freedom of Information requests by Plaid Cymru. Figures show that the top force for paying informants is the South Wales Police Force, paying out £530,755.

The party said: “Across Wales forces use policing by payment to informants to ensure safer communities.

“With police budgets under pressure because of public service cuts by the government in London we have to ensure that cash is spent wisely.

“Welsh police forces must ensure the public have faith that the money spent on informants does lead to convictions.

“We should have the powers here in Wales over the police and the criminal justice system to ensure safer communities across our capital and across our nation.

“This is sure to be an issue for newly elected police commissioners next month.”

 

Payments to informants by Welsh police forces: