With nearly 700 vehicles, South Wales Police operates one of the largest fleets of all public sector organisations in Wales.

Until about two years ago the Authority had a fleet management strategy which had been developed in isolation from other police authorities.

The National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) recognised that there were numerous limitations from the UK’s 42 police authorities developing their own fleet management strategies.

Such limitations were that the authorities had very different priorities, there was a lack of standardisation between different fleets and the levels of service and quality from the different fleets was also high variable.

Some two years ago the NAPFM produced a national fleet management strategy which is available to assist all police authorities in the UK.

South Wales Police Authority has used the national strategy to guide the development of local strategic plans which are updated annually. These plans mirror the key messages within the national strategy but are informed by local priorities. South Wales Police Authority carries out local consultation to decide upon these priorities.

The South Wales Police Fleet Manager reported that the development of the national strategy has had wide-ranging benefits for police authorities across the UK.

Many police authorities are now working towards common strategic goals and this has therefore fostered closer joint working, sharing of good practice and some economies of scale where authorities have procured similar items.

Source: Welsh Audit Office