Blaenau Gwent residents, meet your new neighbourhood inspector

Stevie Warden, who has almost 25 years’ experience in policing, recently joined Sergeant Neil Pigeon and the team in Ebbw Vale.

Made up of chief inspectors, inspectors, sergeants, police constables (PCs), community support officers (CSOs), police volunteers and more, our neighbourhood policing teams work together to tackle the crimes affecting Gwent residents.

Their approach is underpinned by three main aims:

• Use a problem-solving approach to tackle persistent crimes.
• Detect emerging trends and put things in place to stop them reoccurring.
• Build strong links with our communities through engagement.

Inspector Stevie Warden, who’s worked with us in Gwent since 1999, recently moved from his response (Bronze) inspector role in Caerphilly to the neighbourhood team here in Blaenau Gwent.

Heading up the team in Ebbw Vale, Stevie’s now leading neighbourhood teams across Tredegar, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Abertillery.

We drove up the A4046 to sit down with him in Ebbw Vale and ask him a few questions about his policing career.

Good morning, Stevie. Great to see you. How’ve you settled in here in Blaenau Gwent? Can you tell us a little bit about how you started your life as an officer?

Thank you. Well, it was a long time ago now! I joined at the start of 1999. I was tutored in Fairwater in Cwmbran – at the time, this was the old B relief section, which was made up of Cwmbran, Pontypool, Abergavenny, Monmouth, Caerleon and Caldicot. After that initial ten-week period I then moved over to Pontypool.

I’d moved to Wales a few years before this, however, to study at Cardiff University, and, from there, worked for Peugeot Citroen as a production specialist. I loved my time there and worked on the launch of the Peugeot 206 (a new model at the time, believe it or not!) before I applied for the PC role with Gwent Police.

And since those early days in Fairwater, what’s your career looked like?

Wow. The first thing I can confirm – and to use a cliché here! – is that no two days have looked the same. I’ve worked in many areas over the last 24 years, starting out on patrol duties in Pontypool before joining the local support group which now has morphed into the Roads Policing and Specialist Operations (RPSO) unit.

While on this department, I became a public order trainer, TAC advisor and specialist in method of entry for the force.

In 2008, I passed my sergeants exam and then moved over to the crime team, where I worked for seven years.

I’ve also worked as a detective (both constable and sergeant) within our CID teams, working on cases investigating serious organised crime and drug supply – one example being helping to prevent the large-scale importation of drugs into from the Blaenau Gwent area, resulting in sentences totalling 30 years. 

And then, before the move here, I carried out response sergeant roles in Bedwas and Bargoed, which I enjoyed immensely.

I guess the main difference between response and neighbourhood, for those that don’t know, in response is it’s a very fast-paced environment where decisiveness is key, quick decisions must be made around risk to perform at the highest level. I also learned how important knowing your team is to always get the best from them.

Meanwhile, neighbourhood policing is looking at longer-term issues, identifying problems that are affecting certain areas and leading a team to solve these problems.

And so, as you move over to the neighbourhood role, what are your priorities going forward?

I’m very passionate about proactive policing, and I believe that lays at the heart of what neighbourhood policing is all about – identifying those core issues and working with partners to achieve a safer community for all.

First and foremost, we’re here to protect and reassure our communities and we do that by preventing crime and disorder.

I will get to know our people, partners and public by being proactive, getting out there with the team on patrol and meeting our partners.

Building a strong rapport and partnership with the council and community groups is vital to this: our neighbourhood team is driven to tackle the issues most affecting the public and grow to understand your concerns and local crime trends through effective engagement.

All the while, we must champion the high standards the public deserve and ensure Gwent Police’s values are at the heart of everything we do.

Are there any examples you can give us of your team addressing these issues?

One thing we’ve seen recently across Abertillery and Tredegar has been a rise in vehicle-related crime, including the theft of motorcycles. We’ve worked closely with the force’s We Don’t Buy Crime team and, last weekend, arrested three Abertillery men on suspicion of theft offences. 

I hope this sends a clear message to potential thieves that our officers are determined to put the brakes on this type of offending.

Elsewhere, in recent months we’ve also seen positive results in the courts, with several people convicted of drug offences following thorough investigations by our officers. This includes a sentence of more than five years for a 41-year-old Ebbw Vale caught supplying heroin.

You’ve mentioned before the importance of working together and creating a strong team to be proud of. How does everyone, including the community, play their part in achieving this?

I know just how important the link between officers and residents is.

I’ve seen first-hand how significant it is that local officers get to know their patch and build trust and bond with the community. Thankfully, we’ve got a great team here who have already made great strides in building that.

In the past, I’ve seen how information fed back to officers under these circumstances can make a huge difference. I remember a community support officer helped identify a suspect in a murder case and this has always stuck with me how important they are in the intelligence jigsaw.

And the public are vital to this too. Any information you provide – whether it’s around anti-social behaviour, neighbourhood crime like burglary or theft, or drug supply – is integral in informing our investigations and helps us identify offenders and bring them to justice.

Finally . . . can you tell us a little bit about life at home?

I’ve played rugby and football over the years and continue to keep fit by going to the gym and joining spin and circuit classes.

I like to get back to Coventry to see my family when possible and occasionally watch the mighty Sky Blues if I get the chance!

I’ve a son who’s studying dentistry at university while my daughter is currently studying for her A levels with aspirations to become a journalist. They both work incredibly hard. I like to think they are not as smart as their old man (they might not agree) but they’re doing well.