Executive Team

Carmel Napier commenced her job as Chief Constable for Gwent Police on 1st April 2011. She was previously our Deputy Chief Constable, and also holds the ACPO national Wales brief for Domestic Abuse.

Carmel's policing priorities for Gwent are:

• put quality of service and public confidence at the heart of everything we do
• to make a step change improvement in reducing crime, reducing antisocial behaviour/nuisance and disorder and to substantially increase the numbers of offenders brought to justice
• to work with others to keep people safe
• improve efficiency, drive out waste/duplication, increase productivity
• to deliver, in the four years to 2015, £24.4m recurring cashable efficiency savings.

Her inspiration to join the police followed her first experience as a victim of crime: "When I was a child going to orchestra practice on the estate where I lived, some young people kicked the case carrying my viola and broke it.

"That was the first contact my family had with the police, but it wasn't just the smashing of an instrument for me, it was a devastation of something that was an important part of my life.

"For my father it wasn't something that he could very easily replace and so I realised then that what may seem like a quick criminal damage is bigger than that, it impacts on people's lives and their sense of wellbeing and comfort."

Chief Constable Napier said it was the professionalism of the officers in tracking down the offenders that left a lasting impression upon her.

Carmel started her policing career in 1983 at Hertfordshire Constabulary, moving up the ranks. She then moved to the North Yorkshire force, as Detective Chief Superintendent in charge of CID and specialist operations. Carmel then spent two years as an Assistant Chief Constable at Essex Police, prior to coming to Gwent. Carmel is married to Jim, a retired businessman. She has an honours degree in English and Music.