THE current Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent Ian Johnston has announced he will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming PCC elections in May.

Mr Johnston, who was elected as Gwent’s first ever PCC in November 2012, will officially announce his decision to members of the Gwent Police and Crime Panel at their meeting in Usk on Friday.

He said: “It has been a huge privilege and an honour to serve the people of Gwent as Commissioner and the decision not to stand for a second term has been a difficult one for me to make.

“It has been a challenging time but very fulfilling and I feel that I have achieved everything I set out to do. It is now time for me to move on and hand over to the next commissioner. Some people still don’t accept the concept of the role but I believe that for members of the public, PCCs have brought much more visibility and accountability to policing and have been able to make things happen effectively at a local level."

He added: "As PCC I have ensured that the plan for policing in Gwent reflects what the public have told me about their priorities and concerns. I want to thank my Deputy, Paul Harris, the staff in the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Gwent Police and our many partners in the community for all the hard work they have put in over the last four years to improve services for the people of Gwent.”

Mr Johnston considers the launch of a Victims’ Charter and establishing the Connect Gwent victim’s hub, the first ever multi-agency service of its kind in Wales which provides support to victims of crimes, as his key achievements as commissioner.

He said other key decisions during his time in office include the reopening of several police stations which had been closed or had limited opening hours.

Mr Johnston said accurate recording of crime data has been high on his agenda since he was elected and he has overseen a shift away from numerical targets in Gwent to focus instead on the quality of service provided.

He said the most rewarding aspects of his role have been in commissioning services and awarding grants to organisations and bodies across Gwent.

He added: "There are many other initiatives that have been introduced during my tenure and whilst it has sometimes seemed like an uphill task, I have been hugely encouraged by the commitment that continues to be shown by the people who work for Gwent Police. The fact that Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has recently commended the force for making “excellent progress” is a real testament to all the hard work they have put in."