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The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall has revealed the cost of footing the bill for three Chief Constables.
It comes as substantive Chief Constable Will Kerr remains suspended pending an investigation by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into allegations of criminal offences.
Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell is also suspended pending an investigation into misconduct allegations, and interim Chief Constable James Vaughan is now leading Devon & Cornwall Police after being appointed to the top job in December.
The monthly cost of employing the substantive Chief Constable, the Acting Chief Constable and the Interim Chief Constable is £63,913. This includes pension contributions and all remunerated allowances.
From February 2025 the Acting Chief Constable has returned to his substantive role of Deputy Chief Constable while suspended. Therefore, this monthly cost will now reduce.
The period of time that Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly had three Chief Constables in post was three months. Representation has been made to the Home Office for support in covering these costs.
The actual costs are published in the Statement of Accounts produced annually and itemise the elements included in the calculation.
Police and Crime Commissioners have no investigatory powers and therefore all such matters must be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for investigation.
“I remain incredibly frustrated by the length of time the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has taken to investigate the allegations against Chief Constable Will Kerr OBE KPM and have made numerous representations to the ombudsman, the Northern Irish Public Prosecution Service, the Chief Inspector of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, the Home Office and the Policing Minister in an effort to encourage a swift and efficient conclusion to this case.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall.
“The fact that the taxpayer is now footing the bill for two Chief Constable salaries is far from ideal and resolving this issue, and providing robust leadership for the force, remains a top priority for me, and is why I took the decision to appoint an Interim Chief Constable.
“I believe this experience demonstrates that Police and Crime Commissioners should be granted investigatory powers relating to Chief Constable misconduct allegations, so the resources and timeframes of such investigations remain within their control. I will be writing to the Home Secretary to ask that the Government consider granting Commissioners these powers.”
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