Gwent Police () is a territorial police force in Wales, responsible for policing the local authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen. The force was formed in 1967 by the amalgamation of Monmouthshire Constabulary and Newport Borough Police. In 1974 its area was realigned to cover the new administrative county of Gwent, and in 1996, it was expanded again to cover the former Rhymney Valley district area that had become part of the Caerphilly county borough. , the force has 1,308 police officers, 70 special constables, 115 police community support officers (PCSO), 40 police support volunteers (PSV), and 647 staff. Organisation Governance Like most police forces in England and Wales, Gwent Police is overseen by the elected Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), who replaced the former police authority of councillors, magistrates and lay members in 2012. The PCC is currently Jeff Cuthbert. Structure Gwent Police has two local policing areas: East – Newport and Monmouthshire West – Caerphilly , Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen These divisions are run practically independently, controlled by a chief superintendent. Both contain three departments, each under a chief inspector; CID, Neighbourhood Operations (providing community officers and local response) and Neighbourhood Support (including traffic and public order teams, among other things). However, there are still some departments that cover the whole force, including the dog section, rural crime team, and training functions. The force has its headquarters at Llantarnam in Cwmbran. Collaborations Gwent Police has participated in collaborations with other agencies to improve service and reduce costs at a time of government cuts. Examples of collaborations include: Joint Response Unit (with Welsh Ambulance Service) – where a special constable works alongside a paramedic or technician. Funded by the Welsh Ambulance Service and staffed by Gwent Police Special Constabulary. Joint Firearms Unit (with Dyfed–Powys Police and South Wales Police) Tarian (with Dyfed-Powys Police and South Wales Police) – regional organised crime unit. Wales Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit (with Dyfed-Powys Police, South Wales Police and North Wales Police) South Wales Joint Scientific Investigation Unit (with South Wales Police) – processes all forensic submissions Air support is provided by the National Police Air Service (NPAS) – mainly using NPAS47, a Eurocopter EC135 Police Helicopter based at MOD St Athan, supported by NPAS43 from Almondsbury near Bristol. Missing Children's Unit (with local councils) Youth Offending Service (with local councils, healthcare bodies, Child and Adolescent Mental Health