Acting Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Jim Colwell has been suspended by Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez following allegations of “professional standards breaches”.
Alison Hernandez referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct on Monday, which confirmed it had opened an investigation.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it had served a notice informing Jim Colwell of its investigation into potential gross misconduct “in respect of his use of a work issue mobile phone to exchange messages of a personal nature without a policing purpose” and “alleged conduct concerning a force disciplinary matter”.
It added: “The serving of such a notice advises an officer their conduct is subject to investigation and does not necessarily mean that any proceedings will follow.”
Jim Colwell was appointed in July 2023 to lead Devon and Cornwall Police on a temporary basis following the suspension of Chief Constable Will Kerr.
Will Kerr, who joined Devon and Cornwall Police in December 2022, had been under investigation over allegations of sexual offences, which he denies, for several months by the time of his suspension.
The investigation was begun by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, where Will Kerr served for 27 years, before being taken over by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in June last year.
The outcome of the investigation has not been announced.
Acting Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Jim Colwell. Photo: Devon and Cornwall Police.
On Tuesday this week, the day after referring Jim Colwell to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Alison Hernandez told the BBC that she was “fed up and frustrated” by delays in the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland investigation into Will Kerr.
She said “If [the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland] haven’t written to me by December, I’m at the point now where I might even say: ‘Do you know what? I’m going to bring him back’ because this is unacceptable, the levels of delays”.
However she also said that the “right procedures” to reinstate him were probably not in place because Will Kerr might have to face a separate misconduct process.
On Thursday, after suspending Jim Colwell, Alison Hernandez said that she fully understood that “there may be concerns within the force, in our communities and with our partners in relation to this suspension.”
She added: “I share those concerns and resolving leadership issues in the force remains my most pressing priority.”
In July this year His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services said, following an inspection, that it had “serious concerns” over investigations management at Devon and Cornwall Police.
In its report the inspectorate said that the force was underperforming in half of the areas it assessed, despite improvements made since its previous inspections in 2021 and 2022, the findings of which led to the force being moved into enhanced monitoring.
This week The Guardian reported that Jim Colwell’s suspension had triggered fears that Devon and Cornwall Police might go into “freefall”, according to a senior policing source.
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said that his suspension has “no bearing on any indication that the allegation will be upheld and should not be seen as such”.
She is expected to announce interim force leadership arrangements shortly.
