New Assistant Chief Constable appointed by Devon and Cornwall Police
Devon & Cornwall Police has appointed Deb Smith as its new Assistant Chief Constable for Crime, Justice and Vulnerability.
Ms Smith joins the force from Wiltshire Police, where she served as Assistant Chief Constable and held a number of senior leadership roles during a policing career spanning both uniformed and detective work.
Her extensive operational experience includes working as a Strategic Firearms Commander, Senior Investigating Officer, Senior Identification Manager, Public Order Gold Commander and Multi-Agency Incident Commander.
She also has considerable experience in national policing. In May 2015, she was seconded to Operation Hydrant, the national police response to allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse in institutional settings.
As Deputy National Coordinator, she was responsible for operational coordination of the investigation, working with police forces and partner agencies across the country.
Ms Smith returned to Wiltshire Police in December 2016, becoming Head of Crime before moving to the role of Head of Public Protection. She was subsequently promoted to Assistant Chief Constable, initially leading local policing and specialist operations before taking responsibility for the Crime, Justice and Vulnerability portfolio in June 2022.
More recently, she has overseen force transformation projects and programmes.
Alongside her force responsibilities, Ms Smith is the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for Employer Supported Policing within the Citizens in Policing portfolio. The role involves promoting opportunities for employers to support staff involvement in policing and community safety initiatives.
She said: "I am delighted to be joining Devon & Cornwall Police and look forward to working with colleagues, partners and communities across the force area.
"Throughout my career I have been passionate about protecting vulnerable people, supporting victims and ensuring communities receive the service they deserve. I am excited to build on the strong work already taking place across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and to help shape the force's future."
Chief Constable James Vaughan QPM welcomed Ms Smith to the force, speaking about her experience of complex investigations, national policing and organisational leadership.
He said: "We are very pleased to welcome Deb to Devon & Cornwall Police. She brings a wealth of operational policing expertise, significant expertise in leading complex investigations, national experience and a proven track record of leadership. The Crime, Justice and Vulnerability portfolio is central to our mission of keeping people safe and ensuring victims receive the service and support they need. Deb's experience across crime, public protection, vulnerability and organisational transformation will be invaluable as we continue to improve our service to the public and deliver on our priorities for safer communities."