A personal message from PCC Tony Hogg

It was always going to be the case that the role of police and crime commissioner would develop quickly – it had to.

So whereas 2013 set a necessary but probably unsustainable pace my restructured OPCC team is now better configured to face the challenges ahead and allows me to focus on key areas such as lobbying Government and on issues that matter most to us who are a long way away from the seat of power.

For the last few weeks we have been looking at the budget for the next four years as we try and balance the books in very difficult times.

It has become clear that the budget process used by the police authority is unfit for use now and needs overhauling quickly to cope with a different approach by my team and as the Government hands down extra cuts to police funding. We have this well in hand but as with other areas we need to educate ourselves or change long-standing patterns of behaviour.

In the past three years Devon and Cornwall Police has already saved around £40m and remains on track to meet its four-year budgetary challenge.  We still need to reduce the annual running costs by a further £12m a year by 2018 to address budget reductions, part of which is an unexpected and frustrating extra £2.7m top-slice to fund new Government initiatives.

Nibbling at the edges will no longer achieve the savings required - we have to be more radical and more transformational.  This is why we have started to scope out a strategic alliance with Dorset Police and will undertake a fundamental review (amongst others) of the police estate.

I am committed to working with the Chief Constable on delivering this budget reduction whilst focused on the primary goal of maintaining high quality policing services.

The Force has made recent announcements on a review of front counter services and I regret that I did not receive more information about this review before the announcement was made. As the budget holder, I can say that I have not made decisions on these issues and that press announcements jumped the gun. 

I am responsible to the public for guarding the issues that really matter to them and, while I appreciate that the Force needs our help to deliver further cost savings, the issue of front counters is one that needs some innovative thinking.

We have excellent enquiry officers working hard for the public so, perhaps with their help, we need to consider ways of providing this service in new ways. This makes good sense if it saves money and provides what the public really need when contacting the police.   I am satisfied that the outcome of this review is not pre-determined and that we will look very carefully at any emerging proposals later this year.

As well as continuing the battle to hold up police numbers I have two priority issues – the harm caused by alcohol and better management of mental health issues between health authorities and policing.

We are working hard with partners and the retail trade to develop a peninsula wide strategy to reduce the supply of strong alcohol and to curb excessive drinking and we are now working with mental health trusts to develop more appropriate pathways people with mental health problems rather than detaining them in police cells when they need to be sectioned for their own safety and the safety of others.

In addition, I am also applying pressure so that when somebody with a mental health condition does break the law they have access to appropriate medical support alongside or within the appropriate criminal justice processes.

At the same time we must accept that one of the biggest challenges will be to shape cultural thinking in the police force.

It is critically important to close the gap between the police and the public in every way possible.

Policing is an increasingly complex issue. For example, cybercrime continues to increase as a threat to us all.  I am convinced that the best place for our police officers is on the streets, being visible and keeping people safe but we need to understand the demands on police effort that is out of sight of the public. Increasingly the police will not be able to handle demands on their own – they will need the public’s help.

We will never have enough police officers to completely satisfy the public. However, our neighbourhood teams, provide the fabric of effective policing. The mixture of warranted officers and PCSOs embedded in our communities is not only popular but also effective in combating crime on the streets where we all live.  I am also funding an increased number of special constables. These are a vital addition throughout the area but particularly in those communities that may not see an officer on a regular basis. Given the additional complexity of policing it is vital that we augment the policing family through a greater commitment from the general public.

This year I want to challenge the traditional policing culture, to invite the Force to open its doors to greater public involvement and I will help them to work with experts to make volunteering in the police easier – while always being mindful of issues like confidentiality and public safety. I want to open the doors of the Devon and Cornwall force to its community.

All this change means it is now right and proper to revisit the Police and Crime Plan and the OPCC team is putting much effort into updating it considering the lessons learned from 2013.

The main headings will still focus on crime, harm reduction and actively holding the police to account on this issue but it will also highlight how to better support for victims, how collaboration with partners can uphold the capacity of policing and how we can bring the community closer to policing.

I and my team will also be taking a closer look at projects the Force is undertaking – some of which I feel are taking too long to come to fruition.

In December the police began work on a new victims’ code - my team need to scrutinise this process to make sure it best helps those who need its support. In April the OPCC will oversee agencies delivering victims support and 12 months later my team will begin commissioning a competitive process for victim support.

We are all too conscious of the risks we face with the imminent breakup of the old probation service into two parts and delivered partly by the National Probation Service and partly by Community Rehabilitation Companies.

This new landscape will see probation services covering Devon, Cornwall and Dorset which would tie in with the collaborative initiative currently being investigated between the two police forces. Although this development is led by the Ministry of Justice I intend to maintain a strong voice in the development and delivery of services over the coming years.

Having said all this I still feel my primary focus must be connecting the people of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly more closely with their own policing priorities. Nobody will forgive me if I take my eye off the ball of crime reduction and reducing the fear of crime for all of us ordinary people.

At the moment there is a mixed story on crime reduction, it is good in relation to burglary and major acquisitive crime and, equally, bad for violence against the person.

This has seen Devon and Cornwall slip down the recorded crime league tables against the rest of the UK which is not acceptable considering this should be one of the safest places to live and work.

I continue to work with the Chief Constable to increase his focus on this lower end of the crime spectrum, an area that really matters to the public – who want to go about their daily business without fear.

And finally, it is important to me that members of the public understand how my office works on your behalf so please do get in touch if you would like to find out more. Most importantly, I want to hear your ideas – this is your police force and your safety is at stake!

I feel optimistic about the role and I'm dedicated, impartially, to serving the public. That means you!

Best wishes, Tony Hogg