Second Devon and Cornwall Police chief suspended

Devon and Cornwall's Crime Commissioner has suspended her Acting Chief Constable - 14 months after suspending her Chief Constable.

A short statement from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner said that Alison Hernandez had made the decision to suspend acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell in response to "potential conduct matters."

A spokesperson for the OPCC said: "Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has suspended Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell following alleged professional standards breaches.

"The Commissioner has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has confirmed it will investigate the allegations. The Commissioner said she will announce interim leadership arrangements in due course."

Ms Hernandez said: "Sadly it has been my duty to suspend A/CC Jim Colwell and refer this matter to the IOPC. Suspension is a neutral act to enable an independent and thorough investigation to take place. It has no bearing on any indication that the allegations will be upheld and should not be seen as such.

"A/CC Colwell has seven days to make representations to me relating to his suspension. As required for any suspension of a senior officer, I have this morning informed the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel of my decision and fully understand that there may be concerns within the force, in our communities and with our partners in relation to this suspension. I share those concerns and resolving leadership issues in the force remains my most pressing priority."

In a statement the IOPC said Mr Colwell had been served with a gross misconduct notice over allegations he had used his work mobile phone to exchange messages of a “personal nature”.

“Following a referral from the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner on Monday November 25 we have started an independent investigation into the conduct of acting chief constable Jim Colwell,” a spokesman said.

“On Wednesday he was served a notice telling him he is being investigated for potential gross misconduct in respect of his use of a work issue mobile phone to exchange messages of a personal nature without a policing purpose. The notice also relates to his alleged conduct concerning a force disciplinary matter.

“Our investigation is in its very early stages. The serving of such a notice advises an officer their conduct is subject to investigation and does not necessarily mean that any proceedings will follow.”

Mr Colwell joined Devon and Cornwall Police in 2001 after graduating from Leicester University. He first worked as a bobby on the beat in Plymouth but went on to become a detective, taking on a number of high profile cases such as a fatal speedboat incident in Padstow as well as tackling the growth in Metropolitan drugs gangs targeting the South West.

He rose through the ranks, carrying out investigations into murder and kidnaps as well as specialised in leading the south west region in responding to modern slavery and human trafficking. He was appointed as Assistant Chief Constable in 2019 before becoming Deputy Chief Constable in July 2021.

Following the suspension of Chief Constable Will Kerr, he was appointed Acting Chief Constable in his stead.

Mr Colwell and Mr Kerr's suspensions are unrelated, the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has said.

In July this year Northern Ireland's police ombudsman confirmed it had concluded its investigation into Devon and Cornwall Police's Chief Constable and said its file had been passed to province's prosecutors.

Last July it was revealed that a criminal investigation had been launched on June 16, 2023 by the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (OPONI) regarding sexual assault allegations against Mr Kerr, who was the former Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable. Mr Kerr has strenuously denied the allegations.

He was appointed by Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez in late 2022 to take over as from retiring chief Shaun Sawyer.

Effectively, as his boss, Ms Hernadez took the decision to suspend him while the inquiry was underway, referring the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who launched their own misconduct in a public office investigation.

Last month Ms Hernandez told a Crime Panel she was still awaiting an update from the PPSNI regarding the inquiry into Will Kerr. Following the panel meeting She told the BBC: "My timescale is that I will wait until the public prosecution service has decided whether there is a criminal charge or not."

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