Police bosses face urgent calls for improvement after inspectors found failings in investigations and safeguarding, but the commissioner says the chief can deliver change.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has issued Devon and Cornwall Police with an accelerated cause of concern after finding its performance had deteriorated in key areas.
Inspectors said the force's strategic leaders were failing to provide effective leadership, resulting in weaknesses in managing demand, investigating crime and protecting victims.
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said she had full confidence in Chief Constable James Vaughan following the performance reclassification of the force. She said the concerns came as no surprise and reflected issues she had been raising through her own scrutiny.
Commissioner Hernandez said: "These issues, while clearly concerning, come as no surprise and in fact reflect those I have been raising through my ongoing scrutiny for some time. As recently as July, a scrutiny report by my office made recommendations which included improving the force's understanding of how quickly it is responding to reports involving vulnerable people at risk."
The inspectorate revisited Devon and Cornwall Police in August 2026 to assess its progress against two outstanding causes of concern issued during its 2025–27 PEEL inspection. These related to investigating crime and safeguarding.
Inspectors found that performance had deteriorated, particularly in following investigation plans, pursuing appropriate investigative opportunities and supervising investigations. The report said the force was not carrying out or supervising enough investigations to safeguard victims effectively.
Despite some progress on safeguarding, inspectors found cases in which the risk of serious harm to victims had not been identified or addressed for several weeks. They also found that a significant amount of investigative work had not been allocated promptly. In some cases, crimes involving sexual offences and concerns about children's safety had remained unallocated for almost two months. While those investigations remained unallocated, inspectors said there had been limited attempts to assess victims' continuing vulnerability or consider how their circumstances might change.
Commissioner Hernandez said the inspectorate's announcement raised further serious questions about the force's strategic leadership. She said: "Therefore, the escalation to Level Three is a positive intervention that will give Chief Constable James Vaughan the support and resources he will need to lead further improvements to the service being provided to the public. I have spoken with the Chief Inspector of HMICRFS who shares my confidence that Mr Vaughan has the skills, experience and values to make the required change. I welcome the Chief Constable's offer to support him with additional, enhanced scrutiny which goes above and beyond my legal powers."
Inspectors also raised concerns about the force's operating model, saying it did not allow demand to be managed effectively.
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