Improvements to Devon and Cornwall Police will not be 'quick fix'

What happens next after police force downgrade? Image caption, Chief Constable James Vaughan said he is confident his force will get to where it needs to be with the support it is now getting By Britta Zeltmann South West Published 6 hours ago A national team of experts will support struggling Devon and Cornwall Police, but improvements will not come as a "quick fix", a Chief Constable warned. The force was downgraded in September from a Level Two to Level Three after inspectors ruled that public safety was being put at risk due to failure to investigate crime and protect victims. A national team, including the Home Office and police commissioner, will now support the force to introduce improvements. Chief Constable James Vaughan added that his team had "doubled down" and he was "absolutely confident" the force will get to where it needs to be. Vaughan told BBC Radio Devon: "We are a force that needs to improve on a whole range of fronts. We have a number of problems to solve and we operate in the national context of policing." Inspectors previously found investigations were not being carried out or supervised consistently and in some cases the risk of serious harm to victims was not identified or addressed for several weeks. They also found some crimes and safeguarding concerns were unallocated for weeks. Vaughan is due to appear before the Home Office in January to outline the progress the force has made since August. This will include Vaughan's long-term plans to bring about "sustainable and meaningful change in the force". Explaining what the latest performance ranking means, he said: "It doesn't get any more funding and it doesn't take us back into special measures either, that's level four. "It does mean we get what Ofsted would call the 'team around the force'." This includes support from the Home Office and the police commissioner. "It genuinely feels like a supportive team effort to try and help Devon and Cornwall improve its services and get us where we need to be," said Vaughan, who was appointed as Chief Constable on an interim basis in December 2024. Policing performance system The new policing performance system has four categories: Level One – default position for all forces. No action or intervention is required from the performance system at this time. Level Two – enhanced support will be available to prevent any deterioration in performance. This would apply where a force has some low-level, non-systemic issues, issues which are getting better but require oversight, or multiple minor issues. Level Three – targeted support and intervention will be provided and chief constables will develop improvement plans. This would apply where a force has a single, critical and lasting issue, widespread or systemic performance concerns, or if it fails to demonstrate meaningful improvements. Level Four (Special Measures) – forces will be subject to special measures where force performance failings are very serious and there is insufficient evidence or confidence that the steps being taken to address them are having the required effect. Follow BBC Cornwall on X , external , Facebook , external and Instagram , external . Follow BBC Devon on X , external , Facebook , external and Instagram , external . Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk , external . Related topics Cornwall Devon More on this story Force downgraded over victim safety failings Published 25 September Force needs to 'improve standard of investigations' Published 16 July Devon and Cornwall Police in special measures Published 14 October 2022 Related internet links Devon and Cornwall Police HMICFRS