If you complain about South Wales Police and ask for a review, the reviewing body found the force's original outcome was not reasonable and proportionate in 24.3% of 189 completed reviews in 2024/25, the 17th highest of 43 forces and 0.2 points below the national figure of 24.5%. South Wales Police recorded 15,502 stop and searches between 2023-07 to 2026-04, and 72.4% ended in no further action.
Share a fact about South Wales Police
The most common stated reason South Wales Police gave for a stop and search was "Controlled drugs", with 9,330 searches, 64.7% of those with a reason recorded.
Source: data.police.uk, 2023-07 to 2026-04. Figures as published; see the tables on this page for the full denominators.
Complaints about South Wales Police
| Complaint cases logged | 2,934 |
|---|---|
| Employees | 6,733 |
| Cases per 1,000 employees | 435.8 (16th of 44) |
| Review applications to the local policing body | 102 |
| Review applications to the IOPC | 148 |
Where reviews found the outcome was not reasonable and proportionate
| Route | Reviews completed | Outcome overturned | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local policing body, complaint not investigated | 71 | 11 | 15.5% |
| IOPC, complaint not investigated | 86 | 27 | 31.4% |
| IOPC, complaint investigated | 30 | 8 | 26.7% |
Stop and search by South Wales Police
| Searches recorded | 15,502 |
|---|---|
| Period | 2023-07 to 2026-04 |
| Months of data | 34 of 36 |
| Ended in no further action | 72.4% |
| More than outer clothing removed | 1,767 |
What South Wales Police searched people for
| Stated object of search | Searches |
|---|---|
| Controlled drugs | 9,330 |
| Offensive weapons | 1,987 |
| Stolen goods | 1,276 |
| Article for use in theft | 1,248 |
| Articles for use in criminal damage | 581 |
Who South Wales Police searched
Use of force by South Wales Police
| Year | Use of force reports | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 23,116 | |
| 2021/22 | 20,595 | |
| 2022/23 | 16,896 | |
| 2023/24 | 15,078 | |
| 2024/25 | 16,423 |
Recorded use of force by South Wales Police has fallen 29% since 2020/21. Nationally the total rose 39.4% over the same period, so this force is moving against the national trend.
Taser use
| Total recorded Taser uses | 934 |
|---|---|
| Of which discharged | 83 |
| Share actually discharged | 8.9% |
Most recorded Taser use is drawing, aiming or red-dotting rather than firing. The share actually discharged is the figure worth knowing.
Complaining to South Wales Police
Complaints go to the force first. Use its own official channel so the complaint is recorded properly and you get written confirmation.
- South Wales Police official website
- Telephone: 101
What you can do about it
Complaining to a force and bringing a claim against it are different processes with different outcomes. Reviews overturn the force's own finding in roughly a quarter of cases nationally, which makes the review stage worth understanding before you use it.
South Wales Police in the news
The five most recent reports mentioning this force, collected automatically. Headlines and links belong to the publishers named. We do not edit, summarise or endorse them, and inclusion here does not imply any finding against anyone.
- Australian police hunt thieves in $250,000 oyster heist
- Sending a text message exposed paedophile's latest crimes
- 90-year-old woman last seen at Swansea market goes missing
- Dad-of-four's drug operation uncovered after council concerns about his flat
- He tried every front door on the street until one opened. It cost him four years
- Independent Office for Police Conduct, police complaints statistics for England and Wales, 2024/25.
- data.police.uk stop and search API, 2023-07 to 2026-04. Accessed 2026-08-29.
- Home Office police use of force statistics, England and Wales, 2024/25.
Data last refreshed , covering 2023-07 to 2026-04. Every figure on this page is recomputed from the source datasets, not edited by hand. Found something wrong? Tell us.