An inspection of Dyfed-Powys Police has found the force requires improvement in two out of three areas assessed.

The inspection, by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), said the force had “not done enough to develop an ethical culture” or to incorporate the national Code of Ethics into policy or practice.

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Wendy Williams also said the force had not taken enough action to ensure complaints and misconduct cases were free of bias.

She expressed concerns that officers and staff did not understand the College of Policing’s National Decision Model and how it should be used in day to day activity.

It was found the force had not provided effective training on the Code of Ethics and “little or no evidence” was found of the force using the code to inform policy or practice.

The force was inspected in three areas and found requiring improvement in two; the way practice and behaviour reinforces the wellbeing of staff and an ethical culture and the way the force understands, engages and treats fairly the people it serves.

The force was rated good on its use of stop and search and Taser.

The force’s police and crime commissioner, Christopher Salmon, said the force needed to make progress on developing an open and questioning culture.

“I have made clear to the Chief Constable that, as this report states, he has more to do,” he said.

“I’m pleased the report recognises officers’ local understanding. However, I expect the Chief Constable to improve how Dyfed-Powys captures that local knowledge.

“I’m also pleased there were positive reports for the force’s use of Taser and stop and search.

“This report reinforces the need for our plans to go further and faster.”

Dyfed-Powys Police’s Deputy Chief Constable, Liane James, welcomed the the report and said that positive steps had already been taken to introduce system improvements and processes.

“We will now go through today’s report in detail and ensure that all actions emerging from it feature prominently in all of our plans,” she said.

“We are working tirelessly to enhance a service that is already judged to be one of the best in the country according to our communities and, are very proud that we are still one of the few forces nationally continuing to attend every crime.”

She added that the force’s on-going efforts to embed the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics was integral to their efforts and that a recently established ethics committee would help to deliver on this.