a)     

Will Kerr OBE is the Police and Crime Commissioners preferred candidate for the role of Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall Police;

b)     

The process had been carried out correctly, in a robust and transparent way;

c)     

The Commissioner thanked Frances Hughes (Chief Executive Officer of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner), Karime Hassan (Chief Executive and Growth Director of Exeter City Council),Mark Shelford (Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset), Angela Cossins (South West Regional Probation Director) and Kate Kennally (Chief Executive of Cornwall Council) for their involvement in the recruitment process;

d)     

The Commissioner thanked all members on the panels and all partners, police officers, police staff and community members, as well as the Leaders and Councillors involved in the process.

a)     

Representation of rural areas in the interview process.

b)     

The strengths that were looked for in a candidate to meet the challenges of policing.

c)     

The Tri-Service officer in Cornwall, its continuation and possible expansion.

d)     

Community Engagement and Community Policing moving forward.

e)     

Increase in hate crime and the relationship between the police and protected characteristic communities.

f)      

Importance of actively listening to local communities and being as present as possible, with advocates in organisations too.

g)     

The importance having police officers who know local areas and working efficiently to deliver the best service.

h)     

Confidence in policing starts from within the police force itself and the importance of accepting responsibility.

i)      

Importance of social media and innovative working.

a)     

The Commissioner thanked Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer for his service for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and wished him well in his retirement;

b)     

A new anti-social behaviour victim service was available and went live on 1 August 2022;

c)     

Cornwall Community Foundation had been open to grants for funding to tackle anti-social behaviour, giving community groups and charities the chance to apply for funding provided by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, with Devon’s open until 2 November 2022;

d)     

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall had managed to secure a further £200,000 for therapeutic support for children who have been exploited or abused;

e)     

Safer Streets had been successful in helping Plymouth, Exeter, Torbay, North Devon and Cornwall secure funding from Central Government to fight crime hotspots;

f)      

The Home Office had called for evidence for seasonality and sparsity in relation to their funding formula review. The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall would be submitting a response and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners would submit a joint response.

Nicola Allen, Treasurer and Chief Finance Officer added that infrastructure and productivity needed to reach more sparse areas and have evidenced that the seasonality in demand for the region was over 8-12 weeks not just for specific events.

a)     

Within the report in section 8 of the report, Violence against Women and Girls Commission for Plymouth, actions would be added to the annual report based on the recommendations;

b)     

SWAN (Safety of Women At Night) had been launched in Exeter in partnership between Exeter City Council and the University of Exeter which extended CCTV coverage across the city, upgraded CCTV equipment, provided a “safe place bus” and bystander training.

c)     

There were difficulties in prosecuting vehicles with excessive vehicle noise. Work was underway to progress ways in which vehicles with excessive noise could be prosecuted.

a)     

There were concerns over the increasing wait times for the emergency contact numbers. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Police acknowledged the issues around the phone lines, particularly around the 101 number and that it was a priority to improve the service;

b)     

A report into the issues had been requested to be presented at the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel meeting in November 2022.