The Home Secretary has said she is worried about the state of Devon and Cornwall Police after a senior official tasked with tackling leadership issues stood down from the force.
Yvette Cooper was responding to a question in the House of Commons following the departure of deputy police and crime commissioner Mark Kingscote last week.
Mr Kingscote had been appointed to the role last year. The force is being led by interim Chief Constable James Vaughan while investigations are carried out into two of his predecessors.
Chief Constable Will Kerr was suspended in July last year after an inquiry was launched into “serious allegations of sexual offences” against him, which he has denied.
He was replaced by acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell, who was suspended in November pending an investigation into potential gross misconduct over claims he used his work mobile phone to exchange messages of a “personal nature”. Ms Cooper said she shared the concerns of Camborne and Redruth MP Perran Moon, who raised issues about leadership in the force.
She said: “I am aware of the points that he raises, and I do have concerns. It’s really important that all police forces are able to strengthen their neighbourhood policing, but also have strong leadership that goes right through police forces too.”
She said the Government will publish a white paper on policing that will look at standards and leadership.
Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez told the area’s police and crime panel members that Mr Kingscote had left his position “due to personal circumstances”, the BBC reported.
Mr Moon, who was elected as the seat’s first Labour MP in July last year, referring to the suspensions said: “The Devon and Cornwall Police chief constable was suspended due to misconduct. In November of last year, the interim chief constable was suspended as well (and) now, the deputy police and crime commissioner of Devon and Cornwall police has also resigned.
“Does the Home Secretary share my concerns about the leadership of Devon and Cornwall Police, and the impact on neighbourhood policing morale as well as the fact that the taxpayer is now paying for three chief constables, two of whom have now been suspended?”
Ms Hernandez said: “While I cannot comment on my former deputy’s personal reasons for leaving his post, the Home Secretary can rest assured that my team and I have worked tirelessly to ensure that, as we start a new year, Devon and Cornwall Police has a talented and experienced chief constable at its helm, a budget which is enabling me to reopen police station front desks and the force to maintain record police officer numbers, and a new police and crime plan which has tackling crime in communities at its heart.
“We are fortunate that through prudent management of the budget we are not facing some of the really difficult choices other forces are. I look forward to meeting the policing minister next week and reassuring her on these matters.”
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