Call for Swift Appointment of Interim Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall Police

A former chief constable has stated that the Devon and Cornwall Police force requires the immediate appointment of a new interim chief constable. This development follows the suspension of Devon and Cornwall’s Acting Chief Constable, Jim Colwell, at the close of November, due to alleged “professional standards breaches”. Police Commissioner Alison Hernandez indicated that interim leadership arrangements would be announced at a later time. Dr. Tim Brain, who previously served as chief constable of Gloucestershire Police and chaired the Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association, emphasized the necessity for this announcement to be made “very quickly”. He stated: “I certainly would hope within days, but it could be as many as a couple of weeks or so.” He added: “I think if it gets longer than that, then there would be technical and legal problems for the function of the force.” Concluding, he remarked: “So, I think they will be looking very quickly to fill that gap.” Mr. Colwell had been leading the force as a replacement for Chief Constable Will Kerr, who was suspended in July 2023 following sexual allegations. According to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the suspensions of Mr. Colwell and Mr. Kerr are unrelated.