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Residents of the force area might be forgiven for thinking I have spent the last month dealing exclusively with leadership issues.
It is true the appointment of Interim Chief Constable James Vaughan has taken considerable effort – and I am delighted with the start he made getting to grips with the issues which matter most to our residents.
I am also, however, focussing attention on the small matter of how we raise, and prioritise spending, for around £430m required for policing in 2025-26.
One option that the Chief and I will discuss is the use of a second homes tax windfall to put more high visibility patrols across Devon and Cornwall and keep officers out of back-office jobs.
With its high proportion of holiday properties the force is one of the key beneficiaries of a decision by councils to double council tax rates for second homes.
Pending discussions with the Chief Constable I may use some of the additional revenue to expand my Street Focus project and maintain high visibility patrols in communities across Devon and Cornwall. Street Focus, piloted in Torquay, tackles antisocial behaviour and drug dealing through a partnership approach with councils and local businesses.
We learned a lot about the impact of police and uniformed patrols from the highly successful hotspot policing project funded via my office, which delivered 13,016 targeted foot patrols between May and November 2024. Officers on these patrols made 70 arrests and spoke to 58,000 members of the public.
The additional hotspot patrols established in 2024 have been hugely impactful in the 13 towns and cities where they have taken place and I want to build on these. We know that when people see officers in their community and engage with them their confidence in policing improves and these patrols prevent crime in the first place. People understand this and are frustrated when they feel their force is remote and disconnected.
I also plan to invest in keeping people safe with money set aside for additional CCTV, night buses and street marshals to tackle alcohol and drug-related crime and antisocial behaviour. And I want to work with Chief Constable Vaughan to use the funding to keep sworn officers out of back-office roles which can – and should – be done by civilians.
The draft 2025-26 budget will be linked to the priorities laid out in my 2025-29 Police and Crime Plan, which are to tackle theft, antisocial behaviour, serious violence and drugs and alcohol related crime in Devon and Cornwall’s towns and city centres, in its countryside and coastal areas, on our roads and in our homes and neighbourhoods.
If you want to give me your priorities for policing in 2025-26 – and tell me if you support my plan to use the second homes windfall to pay for Street Focus projects in more town and cities in our force area, please take the time to visit devonandcornwall-pcc.gov.uk and complete my Your Safety, Your Say survey.
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has today (Friday, December 13) appointed former Dorset chief constable James Vaughan QPM as interim Chief Constable for Devon & Cornwall Police.
Mr Vaughan has taken up the post following a recruitment process involving His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), the College of Policing, and Police and Crime Panel and Cornwall Council representatives.
Commissioner Hernandez congratulated CC Vaughan and said his appointment would be welcomed by residents of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as well as police officers and staff.
CC Vaughan retired from the top job at Dorset Police in 2021 after nine years with the force. He was appointed as Chief Constable in 2018. While in the role he was the National Police Chiefs Council lead for forensic science and was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2018.
The position became vacant after the substantive Chief Constable and Acting Chief Constable were suspended pending separate investigations by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Commissioner Hernandez welcomed CC Vaughan to the force, saying: “I am delighted to be working with an experienced Chief Constable who will lead the force to drive improvements during this challenging period.
“Mr Vaughan has held numerous senior posts in policing and has a track record of performance improvement.
“This appointment will therefore be welcome news and we can now forge ahead with ensuring our communities remain safe, resilient, and connected.”
CC Vaughan has been sworn in to Devon & Cornwall Police and will take up his duties today with plans to visit key areas of the organisation over the weekend.
He said: “I am honoured to have been appointed as interim Chief Constable. This is not a role I take lightly, and I would like to reassure the residents of our two counties that I am committed to leading Devon & Cornwall Police in delivering a police force we can all be proud of.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has said an announcement will be made at the end of the week on the appointment of an interim Chief Constable for Devon & Cornwall Police following the suspension of Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell.
A/CC Colwell remains suspended while an investigation continues into allegations of gross misconduct following a mandatory referral by the Commissioner to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Commissioner Hernandez said a recruitment process was continuing ‘at pace’ and she was looking forward to returning stability to policing in Devon and Cornwall.
She said: “Following a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, I can confirm that no representations have been received from Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell and he remains suspended while investigations continue into allegations of gross misconduct.
“I am now progressing at pace with the recruitment of an interim Chief Constable using a panel interview process, supported by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Police and Fire & Rescue Services and the College of Policing. I have invited the chair and vice chair of the Police and Crime Panel to join me in this process as a confirmation hearing by the panel is not required.
“I remain mindful of concerns among members of the force and our communities over the current leadership gap and am committed to resolving this as swiftly as possible and restoring stability to policing in Devon and Cornwall. As such I anticipate being in a position to make an announcement on my appointment late on Friday.”
As the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly, I have the privilege of witnessing the incredible work our policing teams do to keep our communities safe. Recently, I was particularly impressed by the results of Operation Scorpion, a regional crackdown on illegal drug activity. This operation highlighted not only the great work of our police forces but also the crucial role we all play in safeguarding vulnerable individuals, especially children, from exploitation.
Operation Scorpion, now in its tenth iteration, is a collaboration between the five South West police forces and their partners. This year, the operation focused heavily on child criminal exploitation (CCE) — a devastating practice where children are groomed and coerced into carrying out crimes, often related to drug trafficking through county lines. The results speak volumes about the effectiveness of our united approach. Across Devon and Cornwall, 26 arrests were made, and 48 people, including 19 children, were safeguarded. Regionally, the operation resulted in 95 arrests, more than £47,000 in cash seized, and significant quantities of drugs, including 37kg of cannabis and 3.7kg of cocaine, taken off our streets.
These statistics are impressive, but the real impact lies in the lives changed. Each child safeguarded represents a young person pulled back from the brink of a dangerous path. Behind every arrest is a community made safer and a message sent loud and clear: the South West is no place for drugs.
Child criminal exploitation is an insidious crime that thrives in secrecy and manipulation. Gangs target vulnerable young people, enticing them with gifts, money, or a sense of belonging, only to trap them in a cycle of fear and control. Once recruited, these children are often subjected to threats and violence, making it nearly impossible for them to break free on their own.
This is why the safeguarding element of Operation Scorpion is so critical. Alongside enforcement actions, officers conducted educational activities in schools, held awareness stalls in busy community spaces, and carried out welfare checks for vulnerable adults and children. These efforts are essential in not only identifying those at risk but also in educating the wider community about the warning signs of exploitation.
As a parent or guardian, you might wonder what you can do to protect the young people in your life. My message is simple: don’t shy away from the difficult conversations. Talk to your children about the dangers of criminal exploitation, county lines, and the tactics used by gangs to lure in recruits. Familiarise yourself with the warning signs, such as unexplained gifts, increased secrecy, changes in behaviour, or frequent absences from home or school. If something feels off, trust your instincts and seek help.
The Children’s Society provides invaluable resources on recognizing the signs of exploitation in young people. You can find more information at https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/lookcloser.
Operation Scorpion’s success is only achievable thanks to the power of partnership. Working together, the five South West police forces, the British Transport Police, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, and our respective offices of Police and Crime Commissioners have shown what’s possible when we pool our resources and expertise. By creating a hostile environment for drug dealers and organised crime groups, we’re making it clear that exploitation and illegal drug activity have no place in our region.
But our work doesn’t end with this operation. County lines and the exploitation of children are ongoing challenges that require sustained effort. We must continue to dismantle criminal networks, support those who have been exploited, and prevent others from falling victim.
As your Police and Crime Commissioner, I am committed to ensuring that our communities are safe and that we continue to prioritise the protection of our most vulnerable members. I encourage everyone to play a part in this mission. Whether it’s by staying informed, speaking up, or supporting community initiatives, we all have a role to play in building a safer, stronger South West.
The results of Operation Scorpion are a reminder of what we can achieve together. Let’s keep this momentum going and ensure that every child in our region has the opportunity to grow up free from fear and exploitation. Together, we can make a difference.
A regional police crackdown on illegal drug activity resulted in 26 arrests and 48 people, including 19 children, being safeguarded in Devon and Cornwall.
The Operation Scorpion week of action also saw more than £10,000 of cash seized in the Devon & Cornwall Police force area alongside more than 6kg of cannabis and more than 2kg of cocaine.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, hailed the 10th iteration of Operation Scorpion, which sees the five South West police forces join together to crack down on drug dealing and associated crime, as an enormous success.
More than 90 people were arrested and £40,000 cash seized across the South West during the week of activity which ran in conjunction with the national County Lines Intensification Week.
In total across the region:
- 95 people were arrested
- £47,863 cash was seized
- 37kg of cannabis, plus 564 cannabis plants were seized
- 3.7kg of cocaine was seized
- 107 people were safeguarded, including 32 children
The week of activity – from November 25 to December 1 – had a particular focus on child criminal exploitation (CCE), where criminals groom and exploit young people into carrying out crimes on their behalf. This often involves drugs and county lines, as gangs use children and vulnerable people to sell drugs and move monies.
Across the week, officers worked with partners to conduct a range of community-led engagement activities on CCE, including talks in schools, educational stalls at high-footfall locations in towns and cuckooing checks for vulnerable adults and children.
A range of enforcement activity also took place, as warrants across the counties resulted in tens of thousands of pounds of cash being seized and Class A and B drugs being taken off the streets.
Commissioner Hernandez said: “Yet again Operation Scorpion has proved an enormous success and sent an unequivocal message to drug dealers and others engaged in illegal drug activity that the South West is no place for drugs.
“Drugs cause untold misery to communities and it’s often the more vulnerable in society who pay the highest price, being preyed upon by ruthless criminals who put them at risk to further their own ends.
“I am pleased that this round of Operation Scorpion has not only taken drugs off our streets, but protected a huge number of people across the South West including children whose lives were at risk of being ruined by illegal drug activity.
“My message to parents or guardians worried about criminal exploitation of young people is to not shy away from having the difficult conversations with a child and know what signs to look out for.”
Anyone concerned can find out more information on signs of exploitation from the Children’s Society at https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work/lookcloser
Speaking on behalf of the five regional police forces, Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Catherine Roper said: “Operation Scorpion is about combining the resources, intelligence and enforcement powers of all the police forces across the South West to create the most difficult environment for those intent on dealing illegal drugs across our region.
“The results from the latest week’s regional activity of arrests and drugs seizures show that we continue to be effective in disrupting the illegal drugs trade – dismantling organised criminal gangs, removing illegal substances from our neighbourhoods and arresting those who deal them.
“We must also remember the on-going work by police and our partners to protect and support vulnerable people – often children and young adults – who are coerced to join these criminal networks. Bribed with gifts and money, once recruited, these victims are usually threatened with or victim to violence, forcing them to remain in these criminal gangs.
“Safeguarding these vulnerable young people, along with protecting everyone in our communities, goes to the heart of the Wiltshire Police priority to create Safer Public Spaces for all.
“Our work doesn’t stop at the end of this latest Operation Scorpion. We know that County Lines involving criminals who supply and distribute illegal drugs across our borders, creating complex networks of drugs lines around the region, will continue. However, in response, we will continue to take a strong and robust stance against exploitative criminality. Our message remains – the South West is no place for drugs.”
Operation Scorpion is a collaboration between the five police forces in the South West region (Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire), alongside their respective offices of Police and Crime Commissioners, the British Transport Police and South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SW ROCU) to combine resources to tackle drug supply in the region and make the South West a hostile environment for drugs.