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Home – Policing reform
In January 2026, the Government published its White Paper on policing reform From local to national: a new model for policing which sets out its proposals for the reform and modernisation of policing in the UK, including the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners from 2028.
The White Paper covers a range of areas of reform, including:
- An ambition to reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales
- A new National Police Service to lead on serious and organised crime and counter terrorism, as well as hosting a number of ‘national’ functions like forensics
- Abolishing Police and Crime Commissioners from May 2028 with new Police and Crime Boards set up where the powers currently cannot be transferred to a regional mayor
- More direct national oversight of policing through national guarantees and priorities underpinned by targets and a new National Performance Framework due in 2026
- Plans for a future review of the police funding formula which determines how national funding for policing is allocated across England and Wales.
The White Paper covers a range of other issues, including reforms to the arrangements for appointment and dismissal of chief constables and police conduct matters.
The timescales and details for many of these reforms are not yet clear and many of the structural changes are expected to take place beyond 2029. We intend to update this page regularly so you can see how the proposals might affect the delivery and governance of policing in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Click on the boxes to find out more:
Vawg home page
Our mission is to reduce the prevalence, severity and normalisation of violence against women and girls
We will work with local organisations, providers and agencies using new approaches and radical ideas to:
Shift focus from response to prevention
Test out new ways to provoke change
Shift narratives about consent and accountability
What is violence against women and girls?
Violence covers a wide range of crime types and behaviours that are disproportionately experienced by women and perpetrated by men.
Click on the crime types below to find out more about each one:
Why radical change is needed now
Nationally and locally, the scale of violence against women and girls is shocking:
In the UK…
One in eight women in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025 experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking
One average, almost 200 rapes were recorded by the police every day in the year ending June 2025
More than 150 women in England and Wales are killed every year
In Devon and Cornwall…
36,208 domestic abuse, rape, serious sexual offences and stalking offences were recorded in the 12 months to April 2026
The Government has an ambition to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention, relentless pursuit of perpetrators, and support for victims and survivors.
What we want to achieve
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has committed £300,000 this financial year to explore radical and innovative ideas to protect women and girls from harm.
A programme of work has developed in collaboration with experts from across Devon and Cornwall. The objectives are:
To improve early identification and intervention
To reduce instances of violence by addressing root causes, harmful attitudes and risk factors
To strengthen multi-agency coordination, data sharing and operational capability within each of the projects and approaches
To increase community confidence and reduce tolerance of harmful behaviours
To lead disruptive approaches to challenge harmful norms
To identify and detail opportunities for systemic change to prevent violence
Click on the sections below to find out more about the Disrupt project:
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Contact us
The main role of the Police and Crime Commissioner is to listen to the public, set policing priorities and hold the police to account. The Commissioner is not a police officer, and this office is a separate organisation to the police.
Please note we are unable to take crime reports or take complaints against the police. If your enquiry relates to any of these issues, please call 101 or use the Devon & Cornwall Police online form. For anything else, please use the form below.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, if it is not an emergency, call the NHS on 111 and select option 2 or get help from the NHS website. If a life is in immediate danger, call 999.
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To rate this form or suggest an improvement, please click through to the end.
You can also contact the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by the following methods:
Telephone: 01392 497700. Please note our phone lines are open between 10am and 2pm.
Post:
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Andy Hocking House
Alderson Drive
Exeter
EX2 7RP
Social media: follow our official social media accounts on Facebook, X (Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram
Work for us
There are lots of people of all different ages, offering their services to the Devon and Cornwall’s policing family as volunteers. Special Constables, cadets, independent custody volunteers, all play their part in keeping our communities safe and protecting victims.
In this section you can find information about the different ways you can help shape policing, give back to your community and get involved with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
You can view our volunteer and expenses policy here.
News
All the latest news from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. For news straight to your inbox please sign up to our news alerts.
