Race & disproportionality Plan Delivery

Forward

Much has been done by Devon & Cornwall Police to address discrimination in our Force and, as a result, it is more inclusive, more diverse and more reflective of our communities than we have ever been. Policing in this Force area is simply better as a result of this positive progress.

We have to acknowledge that disproportionality, bias and prejudice still does exist in some parts of policing, in behaviour, as well as in some policies and procedures that can have a negative disproportionate impact on Black people and those from ethnically diverse communities.

I fully recognise we need to do much more in order to drive down disproportionality rates in Devon and Cornwall, particularly in our use of stop search and use of force and achieving this remains a high priority for the Force. It is vital that our communities have confidence in how we deliver our service and that we demonstrate transparency in all we do. For that reason, we have for the past three years published our disproportionality statistics relating to these areas, and we recognise how important this ongoing transparency is to our communities.

Our Race & Disproportionality Delivery Plan is not only a direct response to the priorities set out nationally, but the change we wish to see locally for our people and our communities. It is key that we are representative of all the communities we serve, and this is a fundamental part of the plan.

It is important that we listen to our communities to become an actively anti-racist organisation that Black people, and people from other diverse backgrounds, can trust. I would like to make it very clear that any allegations of racism relating to officers, police staff and volunteers within Devon & Cornwall Police will be taken seriously and will be investigated robustly. We still have a way to go on this critical mission of fully building trust and confidence in us.

It is our ongoing ambition to be a police force that accurately reflects the communities we serve and that we all, collectively, continue to drive forward the cultural change in policing that is needed. Encouraging people from our Black and ethnically diverse communities to consider a career with Devon & Cornwall Police so they can bring their own wealth of experience to our organisation and help us continue to change from within is a crucial step in this progress.

Acting Chief Constable - Jim Colwell