The debate over whether Wales should have a single police force has been reignited. According to Nation Cymru, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering cutting the number of police forces in Wales and England from 43 to just 12 through mergers.

For Carl Peters-Bond, independent candidate for Caerfyrddin, this is not just about administrative reform—it is about delivering better, more accessible policing for our communities.

Why Change is Needed

Right now, Wales is served by four separate police forces: South Wales, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, and North Wales. This fragmented system creates duplication, wastes resources, and leaves communities feeling underserved. As Carl has already argued in his vision for public services, Wales does not need multiple overlapping structures that drain time and money. We need services that are simple, effective, and accessible.

A Single Police Force for Wales

Carl supports the creation of One Police Force for Wales. This would mean:

• Centralising specialist roles such as cybercrime, counter-terrorism, and serious organised crime, ensuring expertise is shared across the country rather than duplicated.
• Coordinating resources so that officers can be deployed where they are most needed, whether in rural Carmarthenshire or urban Cardiff.
• Strengthening community policing, making officers more visible and accessible in towns and villages, not just in city centres.

This approach mirrors Carl’s wider commitment to cutting bureaucracy and joining up services. Just as he has called for One NHS for Wales and One Fire Service for Wales, a single police force would reduce waste and put resources back into frontline services.

What It Means for Carmarthenshire

For Caerfyrddin and Carmarthenshire, a unified police force would mean:

• Targeting the drugs issues that blight communities, with coordinated intelligence and enforcement.
• Tackling theft and antisocial behaviour hotspots, often linked to substance misuse.
• Ensuring that policing is visible and accessible, so residents feel supported and protected.

Carl believes that policing should be about trust, presence, and fairness. A single force would allow officers to spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time serving the people of Wales.

Putting People Before Politics

As an independent candidate, Carl is not bound by party lines. His commitment is to the people of Carmarthenshire and to practical solutions that work. Supporting a single police force is not about political ideology—it is about common sense reform that delivers safer streets and stronger communities.

In Carl’s words:

“Wales is a country of 3.2 million people. We don’t need four police forces duplicating effort. We need one police force that is coordinated, efficient, and visible in our communities. That’s how we tackle crime and rebuild trust.”