Allison Hernandez is reported to be “incredibly frustrated”. – Owl

Double police chief suspension costs taxpayers £60,000 a month

Ben Ellery www.thetimes.com

Taxpayers are funding a police force to employ three chief constables at a cost of more than £60,000 a month after the original and his replacement were both suspended.

The huge costs are being paid by Devon and Cornwall police after it suspended its chief constable, Will Kerr, from his £197,000-a-year role in July 2023 when an investigation was begun into “serious allegations of sexual offences”.

He denies the allegations, which are understood to relate to before he joined the force.

His deputy, Jim Colwell, stepped up to become acting chief constable but in November last year he was suspended and placed under investigation for alleged gross misconduct following claims that he misused his work phone.

Colwell’s £197,000 a year salary has also been supplemented with employer pension contributions of about £50,000 a year. His salary will fall to £162,573 next month when his role is reduced back to deputy, though he will still be suspended.

James Vaughan has been leading the force as interim chief constable since December. He is entitled to £197,000 a year plus around £50,000 in pension contributions.

According to as yet unpublished figures, the monthly cost of employing the chief constable, acting chief constable and the interim chief constable is £63,913. This includes pension contributions and all remunerated allowances.

Devon and Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner, Alison Hernandez, expressed her “incredible frustration” at the huge amounts of money being paid and she plans to write to the Home Office to ask for support in covering these costs.

The period when the force was paying salaries for three chief constables will come to three months in total. It will continue to pay two chief constable salaries while Kerr is suspended, plus Colwell’s deputy salary.

Kerr, who was a police officer in Northern Ireland for 27 years before leaving in 2018, is being investigated by the region’s police ombudsman. During Kerr’s time with the Police Service of Northern Ireland he led on both serious crime and counterterrorism.

He was appointed OBE in 2015 and was awarded the King’s Police Medal in the 2023 new year’s honours. An investigation into allegations against him has also been opened by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, but that has been halted while the ombudsman carries out its inquiries.

Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said the investigation was at an “advanced stage”.

The PPS said: “A file received from the police ombudsman for Northern Ireland on May 30, 2024, reporting an individual in relation to allegations of serious sexual offences is at an advanced stage of consideration. The PPS recently received further information and material from the investigation team which was required before a decision as to prosecution can be taken. A decision will issue once consideration of that material is complete.

“The case has been dealt with expeditiously upon receipt and there has been no avoidable delay on the part of PPS.”

Hernandez said: “I remain incredibly frustrated by the length of time the police ombudsman for Northern Ireland has taken to investigate the allegations against chief constable Will Kerr.”

She said that she had made representations to the ombudsman, the PPS, the chief inspector of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Home Office and the policing minister “in an effort to encourage a swift and efficient conclusion to this case”.

She added: “The fact that the taxpayer is now footing the bill for two chief constable salaries is far from ideal and resolving this issue, and providing robust leadership for the force, remains a top priority for me, and is why I took the decision to appoint an interim chief constable.

“I believe this experience demonstrates that police and crime commissioners should be granted investigatory powers relating to chief constable misconduct allegations, so the resources and timeframes of such investigations remain within their control.

“I will be writing to the home secretary to ask that the government consider granting commissioners these powers.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said: “We are progressing our investigation into misconduct allegations against the acting chief constable as swiftly as possible. Our investigation into misconduct allegations against chief constable Will Kerr has had to remain suspended pending a decision in Northern Ireland on potential criminal proceedings.”

The Home Office said: “Devon and Cornwall police funding will be £457.2m in 2025-26, an increase of up to £27.8m when compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement.

“Police and crime commissioners facing unexpected costs may request additional funding through the police special grant, in line with the published guidance.”

Taxpayers are funding a police force to employ three chief constables at a cost of more than £60,000 a month after the original and his replacement were both suspended.

The huge costs are being paid by Devon and Cornwall police after it suspended its chief constable, Will Kerr, from his £197,000-a-year role in July 2023 when an investigation was begun into “serious allegations of sexual offences”.

He denies the allegations, which are understood to relate to before he joined the force.

His deputy, Jim Colwell, stepped up to become acting chief constable but in November last year he was suspended and placed under investigation for alleged gross misconduct following claims that he misused his work phone.

Colwell’s £197,000 a year salary has also been supplemented with employer pension contributions of about £50,000 a year. His salary will fall to £162,573 next month when his role is reduced back to deputy, though he will still be suspended.

James Vaughan has been leading the force as interim chief constable since December. He is entitled to £197,000 a year plus around £50,000 in pension contributions.

According to as yet unpublished figures, the monthly cost of employing the chief constable, acting chief constable and the interim chief constable is £63,913. This includes pension contributions and all remunerated allowances.

Devon and Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner, Alison Hernandez, expressed her “incredible frustration” at the huge amounts of money being paid and she plans to write to the Home Office to ask for support in covering these costs.

The period when the force was paying salaries for three chief constables will come to three months in total. It will continue to pay two chief constable salaries while Kerr is suspended, plus Colwell’s deputy salary.

Kerr, who was a police officer in Northern Ireland for 27 years before leaving in 2018, is being investigated by the region’s police ombudsman. During Kerr’s time with the Police Service of Northern Ireland he led on both serious crime and counterterrorism.

He was appointed OBE in 2015 and was awarded the King’s Police Medal in the 2023 new year’s honours. An investigation into allegations against him has also been opened by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, but that has been halted while the ombudsman carries out its inquiries.

Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said the investigation was at an “advanced stage”.

The PPS said: “A file received from the police ombudsman for Northern Ireland on May 30, 2024, reporting an individual in relation to allegations of serious sexual offences is at an advanced stage of consideration. The PPS recently received further information and material from the investigation team which was required before a decision as to prosecution can be taken. A decision will issue once consideration of that material is complete.

“The case has been dealt with expeditiously upon receipt and there has been no avoidable delay on the part of PPS.”

Hernandez said: “I remain incredibly frustrated by the length of time the police ombudsman for Northern Ireland has taken to investigate the allegations against chief constable Will Kerr.”

She said that she had made representations to the ombudsman, the PPS, the chief inspector of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Home Office and the policing minister “in an effort to encourage a swift and efficient conclusion to this case”.

She added: “The fact that the taxpayer is now footing the bill for two chief constable salaries is far from ideal and resolving this issue, and providing robust leadership for the force, remains a top priority for me, and is why I took the decision to appoint an interim chief constable.

“I believe this experience demonstrates that police and crime commissioners should be granted investigatory powers relating to chief constable misconduct allegations, so the resources and timeframes of such investigations remain within their control.

“I will be writing to the home secretary to ask that the government consider granting commissioners these powers.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said: “We are progressing our investigation into misconduct allegations against the acting chief constable as swiftly as possible. Our investigation into misconduct allegations against chief constable Will Kerr has had to remain suspended pending a decision in Northern Ireland on potential criminal proceedings.”

The Home Office said: “Devon and Cornwall police funding will be £457.2m in 2025-26, an increase of up to £27.8m when compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement.

“Police and crime commissioners facing unexpected costs may request additional funding through the police special grant, in line with the published guidance.”