Police and crime commissioner praises year of progress across Devon and Cornwall

It has been a year of real progress. We have seen Devon & Cornwall Police come out of enhanced monitoring, reflecting the commitment of officers, staff and volunteers to continuous improvement.  

This is thanks to the strong leadership of Chief Constable James Vaughan who this summer agreed to an extension of his contract which will provide the stability we need until January 2027.  

My office has continued to drive innovation too, including our Violence Against Women and Girls disruption workshop held in July which is part of our development of radical ideas to tackle this issue.  

This year also saw the launch of new Saturday night bus routes, helping people travel safely and affordably, as well as the launch of the UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) business crime reduction partnership in Torquay, which is already delivering excellent results, and its expansion into other areas of Devon and Cornwall.  

I was delighted to open three more police station front desks to the public, in Ivybridge, Tavistock and Liskeard, recognising that face-to-face contact with policing is important for many in our communities.  

Our collaborative work through the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership is bearing fruit. We have seen a year-on-year reduction in those killed or seriously injured on our roads in the past three years. We are also continuing to pioneer new technologies and embark on ground-breaking projects which will make our roads safer in the years to come.” 

It has been another year of incredible people receiving awards for their fantastic achievements that are helping to keep our streets safer and support people who need it the most.  

They include Plymouth Police Cadet and carer Crawford Kerr, whose achievements saw him named Inspirational Person of the Year at the Plymouth Youth Awards, and Rebecca Hewitt, strategy and policy manager and chair of South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership (CSP), who was the recent winner of the OPCC’s Combating Violence Against Women and Girls award at the West Country Women Awards.  

The recipients of Commissioner’s Awards this year have included This year’s recipients of Commissioner’s Exeter CCTV operator Megan Ward (above left), for her crucial work in securing a conviction for a sexual assault case, and Tara Harris, Divisional Director of Community and Customer Services at Torbay Council, for her part in keeping people safe and reducing reoffending.  

My office has also been recognised in both national and regional awards – the innovative Prisoners Building Homes programme was named Programme of the Year at the Civil Service Awards, my Street Focus project has been shortlisted for Best Project in the Resolve UK ASB Awards, and my Chief Executive Fran Hughes took home Director of the Year at the Westcountry Women Awards.  

As we come to the end of another year, I want to extend my warmest wishes and thanks to those in the emergency services who have worked tirelessly to save lives and all those who support policing and help to keep communities safe across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 

Looking ahead, my new Police and Crime Plan, which was launched in January, sets a clear and ambitious path for a safer, more resilient and connected region into 2026 and beyond.