The Devon and Cornwall Constabulary was formed on the 1st April 1967, following the merging of three smaller police forces. These were the Devon and Exeter Police; Cornwall County Constabulary and Plymouth City Police. The force is now responsible for a total population of over 1.5 million and includes the unitary authorities of Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly, as well as the two counties of the same name. Covering a total area of nearly four thousand square miles, the force covers the largest geographical area in the United Kingdom.
The Chief Constable of the force is Stephen Otter, who has held this position since January 2007. The force is the fifth largest in the country, employing 3,500 police officers, as well as 2,200 further police staff and 356 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). There are also a further 600 special constables. Due to the area being a popular tourist destination, particularly in the summer months, the force also deals with on average 8 million visitors to the area each year. The force’s headquarters are based in Middlemoor, near Exeter.
The History of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
A police force for the counties of Devon and Cornwall was formed in 1836, when a total of 24 borough police forces across both mainland counties and the Isles of Scilly amalgamated. At that time parish constables were elected each year by the vestry. The position was not popular, however, as they were not paid for such a responsible and often hazardous job.
The Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s Heritage and Learning Resource, formally known as the Force Museum, holds an extensive range of historic memorabilia, including old uniforms, paraphernalia and illustrations. The museum is based in Okehampton in Devon, and the interesting artefacts can be browsed online on the dedicated website, as well as in person at the museum.
One of the most infamous past investigations in which the force had been involved in was that of the disappearance of Genette Tate in the late 70’s. Genette Tate was a 13 year old schoolgirl who vanished when delivering newspapers in the quiet rural village of Aylesbeare in Devon, on the 19th August 1978. Despite an extensive national investigation, however, her disappearance remains a mystery to this day.
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Today
The present force is divided into three Basic Command Units, each led by a Chief Superintendent. Each of these units are split into geographical areas, which in turn are split into sectors. Each geographical area is led by a Chief Inspector, and each sector is in turn led by an Inspector.
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly region is led by Superintendent Rob Cooper. This region is spilt into three geographical areas; East Cornwall, to include the towns of Bodmin, Liskeard and Saltash; Mid Cornwall, to include the county’s administrative headquarters, Truro and the popular seaside resort of Newquay; and West Cornwall, to include Penzance, St Ives and the Isles of Scilly.
The Basic Command Unit of Devon is led by Superintendent Joanna Tennant. The region is then split into the following areas: South Hams and West Devon, to include the towns of Ivybridge, Dartmouth and Totnes; the Torbay District, to include the seaside resorts of Paignton and Torquay; Teignbridge, to include Teignmouth and Newton Abbot; Mid and East Devon, to include Exmouth and Honiton; Northern Devon, to include Barnstaple and Bideford. The city of Exeter has its own sector, based in Heavitree.
The largest city within the region, Plymouth, is itself divided into four sectors for policing. Plymouth Unit is led by Jim Webster. The sectors are the Central and South Sectors, operating from Charles Cross Police Station in the centre of the city; Devonport Sector, operating from Marlborough Street Station; Plymouth East, which includes the large suburbs of Plympton and Plymstock; Plymouth North, operating from Crownhill Police Station; and Plymouth West, operating from Beacon Park Police Office.
Within the force, there are a number of separate departments in place to investigate specialist crimes. The four Major Crime Investigation Teams, based in Plymouth, South West Devon, Exeter and Newquay, are responsible for murder and suspicious death investigations. The Major Incident Support Team is a training section which liaises with the States of Jersey Police.
There is also an Economic Crime Section in place to deal with fraud and drug trafficking investigations. The Covert Operations Unit operates major undercover and surveillance operations. Devon and Cornwall Constabulary also operates a Firearms Unit, although, like the majority of British police forces, officers are generally unarmed. This unit is purely in place for necessary firearms training for new recruits.
When compared to other forces, the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary has to deal with a relatively low crime rate, although there are still the prevalent crimes associated with drug abuse. The region does enjoy a large influx of tourists each year, particularly in the summer months, which does put some extra pressure on the force. Violent crimes are not common, although the resorts which attract people to their busy nightlife, such as Newquay in Cornwall and Torquay, are hotspots for such crimes. In Plymouth, Union Street often experiences such problems, due to its large concentration of bars and nightclubs within the vicinity.
Recognising these issues, the force have put into place a number of ‘no drinking zones’, as well as increasing the amount of officers present to police these areas, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
As with many large cities throughout the country, Plymouth does have its crime hotspots. Here anti-social behaviour, car crime and burglary are particular issues. These less affluent areas tend to be to concentrated in the west of the city, to include the suburbs of North Prospect, Devonport, St. Budeaux and Barne Barton. The same can be said about some districts in Exeter, such as St Thomas and St David’s. These issues and hotspots are recognised by the force, and have been tackled by encouraging community interaction such as Neighbourhood Watch Schemes and often the issuing of ASBOS (Anti Social Behaviour Orders) to any offenders.
The force upholds the Police Pledge, as set out by all forces throughout the country. Within the pledge it is stated that they aim to answer all 999 calls within 10 seconds. If called to an incident they will aim to get to an emergency within 15 minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural locations. The pledge also states that the force will provide more visible police patrols within the neighbourhood.
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