Devon & Cornwall Police underperforming in three-quarters of areas inspected

An inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has found that Devon & Cornwall Police is underperforming in six of the eight areas it assessed, a decline in performance compared with its previous assessment.

A report on the outcome of the inspection, which took place last year, was published last week.

In it HMICFRS highlighted concerns over how the force investigates crime and safeguards vulnerable children and adults.

It also found that Devon & Cornwall Police required improvement in areas including leadership and management, workforce diversity and inclusion, responding to the public and managing fraud.

It deemed the force adequate in two areas, with none judged good or outstanding.

In August last year, HMICFRS found that Devon & Cornwall Police had made sufficient performance improvements to move it out of the enhanced monitoring it had been in for three years following a 2022 inspection.

Responding to last week’s inspection report, Devon & Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said she was confident that Chief Constable James Vaughan was making the changes needed to improve the service the public receives from the force.

James Vaughan joined Devon & Cornwall Police on an interim basis in December 2024 following the suspension the previous month of acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell, who had been appointed following the suspension of Chief Constable Will Kerr in 2023.

Alison Hernandez confirmed last year that James Vaughan would stay in post until January 2027.