Richard Lewis

Wales ' four police forces should be scrapped and replaced with a single nationwide service, according to Dyfed-Powys Police's new chief constable.

Former Cleveland Police boss Dr Richard Lewis has said this should be in place by 2030.

" (If) The Americans can put A Man on The Moon in eight years, I think we can unify four police services, " He Said .

The Home Office said the existing structure meant everyone had a direct say on policing in their area.

Dr Lewis said merging forces into Heddlu Cymru - Welsh for Police Wales - would be more effective.

It would be the third largest force in England and Wales , behind the Metropolitan Police and West Midlands Police.

Carmarthenshire-born Dr Lewis said: " Doing away with those borders means we can provide a more effective service.

" One chief constable rather than four. One deputy chief constable. Dare I say one commissioner instead of four. "

A merger would create a service with More Than 7,400 police officers, according to Home Office figures.

He denied combining The Police would be cuts driven.

" What policing needs across the country is further investment, " He Said .

" We've seen the government uplift figure of 20,000 officers. I'd like to see something similar for police staff members as well. "

Chief Constable Lewis said he recognised concerns that resources could be concentrated on towns and cities under one force.

He believed that could be dealt with by creating " shadow structures" to ensure officers working in rural areas remained there.

In Scotland eight forces merged to form Police Scotland in 2013, and has faced problems.

Chief Constable Lewis said: " Police Scotland had a difficult start but I think they're now seeing the benefits of having one national service in Scotland .

" We can learn the lessons, of course, from those early days in Scotland . . creating national structures in the IT world et cetera. "

Devolution of The Police , He Said , was a political matter.

He Said : " My concern is around The Way we structure our policing services in Wales .

" I understand not everybody will be of the same opinion, but Lord Thomas' report on Justice in Wales , such as a national policing board for Wales .

" National structures do exist. What I'm proposing is a development of those things. "

He admitted if there was a unified force, devolution of policing " may be easier to achieve".

He's called for a national debate about whether a " single police force is what The Public want to see".

" President Kennedy, in 1962, said that he would put A Man on The Moon by The End of decade, " Chief Constable Lewis said.

" If, starting From Scratch , The Americans can put A Man on The Moon in eight years, I think we can unify four police services in Wales . "

South Wales Police and Gwent Police declined to comment on Dr Lewis' views.

North Wales Police has been asked to coment.

A Home Office spokesman said: " The existing police force structure in Wales ensures everyone has a direct say on policing in their area through their locally elected and accountable police and crime commissioner.

" Chief constables and police and crime commissioners collaborate with other forces on a wide range of functions to improve The Service they provide to The Public . "

Source of news: bbc.com