Police 24/7 producer Jeanette Ward writes about her time with the Chief Constable Peter Vaughan.
For the second series of Police 24/7 me and my camera man, Jon Rees, were scheduled to follow the Chief Constable, Peter Vaughan. As a rule, in the run up to the week’s filming we spend some time shadowing the people we hope to work with. It means we get to know each other and have a better understanding about how they go about their job and vice versa. Needless to say, we had no such luxury with the Chief Constable. He is an incredibly busy man, after all. I had met him a few weeks earlier with the series producer, Samantha Rosie, to see if he would be interested and yes he was!
South Wales Police Chief Constable Peter Vaughan with PCSO Stacey Bolton
On the day of filming, we’d arranged to meet the Chief Constable outside the Rhondda Heritage Park, just north of Pontypridd. After hooking him up to a radio mic we jumped into his car and set off. We had a busy day ahead of us with lots of people to meet across the Force. A small part of me was worried the Chief Constable might keep his guard up for the entire day but, as it happened, he was incredibly relaxed. We were in the Rhondda after all, his old stomping ground as a Police Constable. As well as sharing some his memories with us, he also had a lot to say about the present and future of South Wales Police.
After a brief visit to Ton Pentre we made our way over to Merthyr Tydfil where a new Bridewell Suite is currently under construction. It’s a major investment for the Force and when it’s finished will replace the old-style custody suites currently used in Northern Division. I never knew buildings of this nature had to meet with so many specifications in relation to Human Rights. One aspect I was impressed with were the sun tubes, a unique mirror device that provides a source of natural daylight into the windowless cells.
Next up for the Chief Constable was the Passing Out ceremony for 70 PCSO’s (Police Community Support Officers) in Cardiff, the largest intake to date. It’s a big day for them and a chance for their families to join in with the celebrations.
Chief Constable Peter Vaughan welcomes new Police Community Support Officer Stacey Bolton
Before heading off to the capital we made a detour back to the Chief Constable’s office at Bridgend HQ so he could change into his best suit. As you would expect his office was very tidy, but I was pleased to see a wealth of Police memorabilia around the place; a motorbike helmet from his traffic cop days, an old truncheon, a toy police car to name a few. Mounted on the wall was a neat row of his shoulder epaulettes - a simple but effective reflection of his journey through South Wales Police from his days as a PC, ‘bobby on the beat’ in the Rhondda to Chief Constable and every single rank in between. He came across as a modest, down-to-earth man, who’s incredibly proud of Welsh valleys roots and quietly proud of his achievements! And who wouldn’t be?
Police 24/7 is on Thursday, March 20, BBC One Wales at 8.30pm
