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	South Wales Police; Heddlu De Cymru
Coverage
	; South Wales Police; Heddlu De Cymru area
Area	Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and Vale of Glamorgan unitary authority areas
Size	2,074 km²
Population	1,227,200
Operations
Formed	1969
HQ	Bridgend
Budget	£232M
Officers	3,302
Divisions	8
Stations
Chief Constable	Barbara Wilding
Website	www.south-wales.police.uk

South Wales Police (Welsh: Heddlu De Cymru) is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. Its headquarters are based in Bridgend.

Covering Wales' capital city, Cardiff, as well as Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, and the western South Wales Valleys, it is the largest police force in Wales in terms of population, and the seventh largest in the UK.

The force was formed as South Wales Constabulary (the name was changed in 1996) on 1 June 1969 by the amalgamation of the former Glamorgan Constabulary, Cardiff City Police, Swansea Borough Police and Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police.^[2]^[3] In 1974, with the re-organisation of local government, the force's area was expanded to cover the newly-created Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and West Glamorgan.

In further local government re-organisation in 1996 the force area lost the Rhymney Valley area to Gwent Police. Today it covers the principal areas of Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan – most of what was the ancient county of Glamorgan.

Under proposals made by the Home Secretary on 6 February 2006, the force would merge with North Wales Police, Gwent Police and Dyfed-Powys Police, to form a single strategic force for all of Wales. This issue has caused sharp divisions amongst some members of the police force.^[4]

The South Wales Police has participated in the World Police and Fire Games since 1995, except for the 1999 Stockholm Games.

The current Chief Constable is Barbara Wilding QPM, CBE, CCML.