Police commissioner 'deeply disappointed’ at force's complaints handling

Devon & Cornwall's Police Commissioner says she is ‘deeply disappointed’ at the force's handling of complaints from the public.

A report from Alison Hernandez says that, based on the scrutiny report by her office, 'it is clear the force has not provided an acceptable service, despite providing significant investment for improvements after an independent review into complaint handling in 2023 highlighted areas of concern'.

She said: “I want the residents of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to know that I will never shy away from speaking out when I feel they are not receiving the service they expect and deserve from the police force they pay for.

“It is important that we are honest and transparent in letting the public know where service is falling short and what steps are being taken to address issues that directly affect them. I will be working closely with the Chief Constable to ensure lessons are learned and lasting change is made so we can all have a police force we can trust and be proud of.”

Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thorne's told us the PCC recognises they're taking action, but he accepts there are still significant improvements to make.

he said: "I acknowledge the publication of the PCC’s annual report into the Force’s complaints handling and I am pleased that the PCC recognises that we are taking robust action at pace to address the issues identified. However, I accept that we still have significant improvements to make to ensure our communities receive a timely and comprehensive response when they complain to us about our service.

“The time period reflected in the report is from the beginning of April 2023 to the end of March 2024 and over the past year we have been working on improvements including the implementation of a new public service team and more robust systems to ensure we can offer the sustainable service that our communities deserve. This was as a result of a joint investment decision between the PCC and Chief Constable, programmed in for January 2025.

“I am pleased that in the report the PCC acknowledges that next year’s data is likely to see an improvement from January 2025 onwards, and that she is encouraged by the investment and activity she has seen so far.”

The full report can be found here

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