Dyfed-Powys Police is currently looking to recruit volunteer visitors in Pembrokeshire to check on the wellbeing of detainees in custody suites and the conditions in which they are held.

Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) are volunteers who visit police custody areas to check on the wellbeing of detainees and ensure that their rights are upheld. 

ICVs visit a local police station in pairs, unannounced, at any time of the day or night and provide an independent check on the welfare of the detainees in custody, and the conditions in which they are being held. Issues raised by volunteers are considered by Police Inspectors and updates are provided to the Police and Crime Commissioner. The volunteers’ work offers protection to detainees and transparency of detention processes. 

The Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) leads and represents locally-run custody visiting schemes, managing teams of volunteers who visit those in police custody. 

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys won a prestigious national Gold award for the quality of its Independent Custody Visiting Scheme at the ICVA Quality Assurance Awards in November 2023. There were four graded levels of award, and the Dyfed-Powys Scheme was delighted to have received the Gold standard.