Alison Hernandez claims that previous leadership has ‘simply not been good enough’ and is pleased that Chief Constable James Vaughan recognises the scale of the issue and is taking robust action ‘at pace’ to address it. 

If you keep hiring more Chief Constables it’s bound to come right in the end. – Owl

Radio Exe News www.radioexe.co.uk 

They have ‘not provided an acceptable service’

Devon and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has said she is ‘deeply disappointed’ at forces handling of complaints from the public.

She says that, based on the scrutiny report by her office, it is clear the force has not provided an acceptable service, despite providing significant investment for improvements after an independent review into complaint handling in 2023 highlighted areas of concern.

Commissioner Hernandez claims that previous leadership has ‘simply not been good enough’ and is pleased that Chief Constable James Vaughan recognises the scale of the issue and is taking robust action ‘at pace’ to address it. 

The publication of the annual Specified Information Order report is a statutory requirement as part of the Commissioner’s role in scrutinising Devon & Cornwall Police. 

The report assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of Devon & Cornwall Police’s complaint handling from the beginning of April 2023 to the end of March 2024. It considers information provided by the force alongside analysis by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC)’s Accountability and Standards team as well as complaints made to the OPCC about police complaint handling.

Complaints against the police must in the first instance be reported to the force’s Professional Standards Department. If a member of the public is unhappy with the outcome, the OPCC can then review that complaint. 

In the Commissioner’s statement of assurance which forms part of the report, she says there is no evidence of the force putting consistent measures in place to learn from complaints received, nor from complaint reviews which were upheld by her office, and says she remains ‘deeply disappointed at the service that has been provided’, adding: “I am not assured that complaint handling during this time was either efficient or effective, and as a result I require the Chief Constable to make timely, substantial and enduring improvements, and to demonstrate to me that the force is learning, both from the complaints it receives and from the complaint reviews that my office upholds.”

The Commissioner says that she anticipates that next year’s report will show an improvement in the final quarter of 2024-25 reflecting the change in leadership following the appointment of Chief Constable Vaughan.

Commissioner Hernandez said: “The scrutiny function of my office is a vital tool in holding the Chief Constable to account for delivering a safe, effective and efficient police force, which I am required to do by law.

“I want the residents of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to know that I will never shy away from speaking out when I feel they are not receiving the service they expect and deserve from the police force they pay for.

“It is important that we are honest and transparent in letting the public know where service is falling short and what steps are being taken to address issues that directly affect them. I will be working closely with the Chief Constable to ensure lessons are learned and lasting change is made so we can all have a police force we can trust and be proud of.”

“Take back control” – shut the city gates! – Owl

Guy Henderson www.radioexe.co.uk 

‘Let’s make the most of the government’s faith in us’

Exeter is ready to seize a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to take control of its own destiny.

The city council has unanimously backed a plan for it to become a unitary authority as part of the government’s nationwide shake-up of local authorities and sent its proposals to ministers.

So far in Devon, Plymouth wants to go it alone, expanding to absorb more than a dozen parishes in the South Hams.

Torbay also wants to stay as a small unitary authority, as it is now, but concedes that it will also have to spread out to absorb other areas in order to meet the government’s target for the population of the new unitary councils.

Devon’s seven district councils, have signed up for a structure that sees Plymouth standing alone and all the rest of Devon split into two large, new authorities.

The districts’ plan includes Exeter, but the city is determined to stand on its own two feet instead, possibly extending its boundaries to bring in some neighbouring parishes. The government has indicated that it might be open to allowing some of the new councils to come in below its planned population threshold of 500,000. Exeter’s current population is just under 140,000.

Exeter’s chief executive Bindu Arjoon told a meeting of the full council that there is a ‘compelling case’ for a unitary authority based on the city.

Unlike Plymouth, which has already published a list of the 13 South Hams parishes it wants to absorb to help it reach the population target, Exeter has not drawn up a map. It says that if it needs to expand outwards, it wants to consult properly first.

Council leader Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick) said: “Exeter is a young city with a rapidly growing population. It is an economic powerhouse which is out-performing the UK average.”

He said a single Devon-wide authority would not work for Devon, and neither would the district councils’ ‘1-5-4’ proposal to split the county.

“That option has no logic,” he said. “It recognises that one of Devon’s cities – Plymouth – is deserving of unitary status, but Exeter is not.

“It is simply a political plan that does not address the needs of the people of Devon, and it must be rejected.”

He stressed that local town and parish councils should be included in discussions ahead of the formation of any new authority.

Cllr Zoe Hughes (Ind, Pennsylvania) added: “We deserve to stand on our own two feet, and not stand in line with a begging bowl waiting for our turn.” And Cllr Diana Moore (Green, St Davids) urged: “Let’s make the most of the government’s faith in us.

“Exeter is a generous and friendly city. I hope we can invite our neighbours to join us in shaping the city’s future in a meaningful way.”

But Cllr Michael Mitchell (Lib Dem, Duryard and St James) said the ‘elephant in the room’ was finance, and warned that the districts would be overwhelmed by the debts left behind by a disbanded Devon County Council.

“Without an overhaul of how councils are funded these changes and their associated costs are just going to establish new bankrupt unitary authorities from day one,” he said.

“This is not a decision to be imposed by the few on the many.”