Roles and responsibilities of the Police and Crime Commissioner

The primary role of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is to maintain a police force and ensure it is efficient and effective.

The PCC is elected by the public to hold the Chief Constable to account for the performance of Devon and Cornwall Police on their behalf. The PCC is the link between the police and local communities and is accountable to the public for the totality of policing. The normal term of office for a PCC is four years. The PCC must set out the strategic direction for policing and community safety in Devon and Cornwall by publishing a Police and Crime Plan and by setting financial strategy and budget in consultation with the Chief Constable. All policing funding is received by the PCC – this includes funding from central government grants and local funding via the precept placed on council tax.

The PCC appoints the Chief Constable but must not interfere with the operational independence of the Chief Constable. The PCC must also appoint a Chief Executive and a Chief Finance Officer who will provide advice, lead the staff within the PCC’s support office and ensure the PCC acts lawfully.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly is Alison Hernandez

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) provides the administrative and policy support to enable the PCC to perform their statutory duties and prepare and deliver the Police and Crime Plan. The OPCC is an impartial, non-political organisation reporting to the Chief Executive (who is also the PCC’s Monitoring Officer). The OPCC supports the PCC’s work in commissioning services from other organisations, engagement and consultation with the public as well as scrutiny and oversight of the activities of Devon and Cornwall Police.

The work of the OPCC covers a number of main areas as well as responding to new requirements as they arise. Currently, the main business areas are: policy and planning; engagement and media; commissioning and partnerships; complaints management; performance and scrutiny; victim care; finance and budgetary management; and internal audit.

The OPCC has two officers required in law – the Chief Executive (who is also the Monitoring Officer) and the Chief Finance Officer (sometimes referred to as the Treasurer) responsible for financial stewardship.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is located alongside the Devon and Cornwall Police at Middlemoor, Exeter. The office structure comprises permanent posts equating to 26 FTE and is configured as below.

Role and responsibilities of the Chief Constable

The Chief Constable is the most senior police officer in Devon and Cornwall Police and is responsible for the delivery of operational policing. The Chief Constable is accountable to the public and the PCC but is operationally independent and free from political interference. However the Chief Constable must perform their duties in a way that reasonably assists the PCC. Whilst the PCC appoints the Chief Constable, they are not their employer. The Chief Constable is a corporation sole and a servant of the Crown.

The Chief Constable is responsible for keeping communities safe and secure and has direction and control of all police officers and police staff.

The Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall Police is Shaun Sawyer.

Devon and Cornwall Police Force

As the largest territorial police force in England the geographical area for the Devon and Cornwall Police extends 180 miles from the Dorset and Somerset borders in the east to the Isles of Scilly in the west. To give some impression of the scale of the area, police headquarters in Exeter is actually nearer to Westminster than the furthest extremity of the Force.

In March 2020 there were 3094 police officers in the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary.

In addition to the police officers there are approx. 1770 police staff and 197 Police Community Support Officers.

The Force is split into four geographical areas: Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Plymouth, Devon and South Devon, each with its own commander. They are further broken down into sectors and local policing areas - (LPAs) and sectors.

Strategic Alliance with Dorset

The PCCs and Chief Constables for Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police signed an agreement in March 2015 to formally enter into a strategic alliance.

The strategic alliance is an agreement between the two Forces to work together as preferred partners to preserve, safeguard and, where possible, transform service to the public while retaining separate identities. The Alliance supports the policing service delivered on the ground across the three counties. Both Forces continue to provide effective policing services more efficiently by operating this way.