Chief Constable Responds to Government Police Reform White Paper

At today’s Police and Crime Panel meeting, James Vaughan, Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, gave a cautious welcome to the Government’s police reform white paper, which sets out a wide-ranging programme of changes to how policing is organised in England and Wales.

The meeting also heard supporting statements from James and the force Treasurer backing the Police and Crime Commissioner’s budget proposals for the next financial year. These proposals were accepted by the panel and include an increase in the police part of council tax of £15 a year for an average Band B and D property.

More detail on the funding decision can be found on the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner website: Police funding settlement explained

What the white paper proposes

The police reform white paper, titled From local to national: a new model for policing, outlines several major changes. These include the creation of a new National Police Service, designed to bring together existing national bodies and deliver specialist capabilities to all forces in response to changing threats.

It also proposes an independent review of the number of police forces in England and Wales, which is expected to lead to a significant reduction in force numbers. Further details are available in the white paper itself: Read the full white paper

A call for reform, with caution

Speaking at the meeting, James said he had been calling for significant police reform for a number of years and welcomed the Government’s response. He pointed out that the current policing model dates back to the 1960s and does not fully reflect a world where the majority of crime now has a digital element.

He highlighted the growing complexity of serious crimes such as child sexual abuse and drug smuggling, which are often national or international in scale, and said there is more forces could do together to focus resources where they are most needed. He gave examples such as joint procurement of equipment including laptops, phones and uniforms, noting that current arrangements can be inefficient.

Local focus remains key

While welcoming the proposed review of police force numbers, James stressed the need for caution. He said he supports fewer, larger forces, but only if they retain a local flavour and are held locally accountable through governance.

He added that he will always advocate for the communities of Devon and Cornwall and is committed to ensuring that any potential merger with other forces benefits them. According to James, any changes must maintain or strengthen frontline resources, retain officer numbers and protect the local focus of policing across the two counties.

James said larger forces can bring benefits such as improved collaboration and stronger national decision-making, but warned that these must not come at the expense of good local policing or the strong community links built through local knowledge.

He confirmed he will continue working with national policing leaders and partners as the white paper progresses through Parliament, while also considering the impact of the proposals alongside the Police and Crime Commissioner.