Nothing to see here, as Ms Hernandez is about to begin the recruitment process for her fourth chief constable in the space of two years! – Owl

Jim Colwell (left), Will Kerr (centre) and James Vaughan (right) have all served as Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable in the past two years.

Sam Blackledge www.itv.com

Chaos? An unfortunate series of events? Or business as usual?

Reporting on the leadership of Devon and Cornwall Police over the past few years has been like watching a high-budget Netflix drama.

A long list of colourful characters; a barely believable plot; and at the end of every episode, you’re left with absolutely no idea what’s going to happen next.

Back in 2022, a group of journalists were invited to police headquarters in Exeter to meet with Will Kerr, the South West’s new chief constable.

He came with an impressive CV, having served in Northern Ireland for 27 years, eventually moving up the ranks and leading on serious crime and counter terrorism.

We joked that if he could find a way to navigate the bitter ‘jam or cream’ debate, which has divided our two countries for centuries, it would put all his previous accomplishments in the shade.

None of us could have imagined that just six months later, Mr Kerr would be gone, and we would never see him again.

Will Kerr joined Devon and Cornwall Police in 2022.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) began an investigation into serious allegations of sexual offences. The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched its own inquiry.

Mr Kerr was suspended and his deputy, Jim Colwell, moved up the ladder to fill in as temporary Chief Constable.

As the months dragged on, and it became clear the PSNI inquiry was moving at a glacial pace, that word “temporary” began to feel slightly more “permanent.”

But then came the next twist. Jim Colwell himself was facing gross misconduct allegations, for misuse of his work mobile phone.

Another suspension, and another vacancy at the top of the tree which needed to be filled as soon as possible.

Enter James Vaughan, former Chief Constable of Dorset Police. Like a grizzled old copper lured out of retirement for one last job, Mr Vaughan agreed to step in as caretaker until everything was resolved.

‘We haven’t had chaos’

This week, just as the audience was beginning to wonder if this slow-moving drama would ever reignite, things began to race to a sudden conclusion.

On Tuesday, Jim Colwell was found guilty of misconduct – apparently for failing to declare that he had messaged a journalist on social media – but was allowed to return to his role as Deputy Chief Constable with a written warning.

Wednesday brought news of Will Kerr announcing his retirement, having seen the PSNI criminal investigation dropped, but with a police watchdog inquiry still ongoing.

Alison Hernandez denied she has presided over a ‘chaotic’ period.

On Thursday, I sat down with Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez, who is responsible for hiring and firing Chief Constables and holding the force to account.

I asked her whether she takes responsibility for the “chaos” of the past few years.

“We haven’t had chaos,” she replied.

“We’ve just had some individuals who have had misconduct allegations against them, and I’ve dealt with them appropriately.

“This force right now has got really strong leadership in James Vaughan and I am very happy.”

Ms Hernandez said she believes the IOPC is not fit for purpose and that she wants commissioners to have “more power” to take control of disciplinary matters and speed things up.

This is unlikely to happen, as a key principle of policing is that forces do not mark their own homework.

Ms Hernandez is about to begin the recruitment process for her fourth chief constable in the space of two years.

She, and everybody concerned with Devon and Cornwall Police, will be hoping the scriptwriters opt for a period of calm after an action-packed series.