South Wales & Gwent Police Joint Legal Services (JLS) is a strategic alliance between two of the southern Welsh Police Forces ? South Wales Police & Gwent Police It was established in formally in April 2010 although it has been running in shadow format since the autumn of 2009.

It provides legal support and services to its 4 respective clients ? the Chief Constables of South Wales and Gwent Police, South Wales Police Authority & Gwent Police Authority. The 4 clients were fully supportive in the establishment of JLS.

We are justly proud that JLS was the first collaborative joint venture legal services team within a police environment in the whole of the United Kingdom. The business model for the establishment of the has been very successful ? so successful in fact that most collaborative joint legal services departments being established in the United Kingdom are done so on the Gwent/South Wales Model.

The JLS business model is split into 4 parts knows as Business Areas:

- Litigation

- Operational Policing

- Corporate

- Employment

JLS is one team spread over two geographical locations, namely; the headquarters of South Wales Police in Bridgend abs the headquarters of Gwent Police at Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran. The JLS team is a virtual one ensuring adequate resilience to our clients in the respective business areas detailed above.

Gareth joined Gwent's ACPO team in April 2010, when the South Wales and Gwent Police Joint Legal Services was established to provide a responsive and resilient legal resource to both forces.

In 1986 Gareth joined South Wales Police as the Force Solicitor with responsibility for providing a comprehensive legal service to the Chief Constable and the Police Authority. In 2006, Gareth became Director of Legal Services and a member of the Force's Chief Officer Group in which he is involved in the strategic management of the force.

Gareth also leads on legal issues for ACPO Cymru and is a member of the All Wales Police Collaboration Board.

Gareth believes that the creation of the Joint Legal Services is an exciting opportunity to enable lawyers to play their full part in supporting both forces to deliver the very best policing service to their respective communities.