GWENT'S Police and Crime Commissioner has welcomed a report looking at the way forces record crime. Following an inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), the Crime Data Integrity report was published last week. It says chief officers in Gwent Police had demonstrated strong leadership on ethical crime recording and that there is clearly a culture among officers and staff within the force to secure crime data accuracy. The report also highlights how the internal review into crime recording instigated by Gwent PCC Ian Johnston in 2013 helped raise awareness about how performance in crime recording can be improved. The inspection did not find any evidence of performance pressures leading to failures in crime recording, whether under-recording or misclassification of crimes. Commissioner Ian Johnston said: "A significant amount of work has been undertaken by the force in respect of ethical crime recording which has been positively recognised in this inspection. "I am reassured by this report and I believe the public can have full confidence in the strong direction the force is taking where crime recording is concerned. "Other police forces have followed Gwent's lead in carrying out in-house inspections of their crime recording practices and it is interesting to note that 29 out of 43 police forces in England and Wales are now showing an increase in recorded crime. "I have always maintained that I am more concerned about the quality of service the public receive than numerical targets and it was pleasing to see our work around providing a victim-centred approach to policing being highlighted by HMIC. "The Chief Constable has made it perfectly clear to everyone in the force that ethical and accurate crime recording is essential and the staff and officers fully understand the expected standards of behaviour and conduct expected of them with regards to crime recording." The report also highlights areas for improvement which have been welcomed by the commissioner.