Devon and Cornwall Constabulary

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Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary area
Coverage
Area Devon and Cornwall
Size 10,270 km²
Population 1.5 million
Operations
Formed 1967
HQ Exeter
Officers 3,500
BCUs 4
Stations 49
Chief Constable Nigel Arnold
Website http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the counties of Devon and Cornwall in England and the unitary authorities of Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly.

This is the largest police force area in England by geographical area covered, and the fifth largest in the United Kingdom. The total population of the force area is approximately 1.5 million. The force also has to cope with an influx of around 11 million visitors to the force area during the average year.

The force has an establishment of 3,500 police officers, 600 special constables, 71 community support officers and around 2,200 police staff.

The force was formed on 1 April 1967 by the amalgamation of the Devon and Exeter Police, Cornwall County Constabulary and Plymouth City Police.

As with most British police forces, the Constabulary is headed by a Chief Constable, assisted by a Deputy Chief Constable, Assistant Chief Constable (Operations), Assistant Chief Constable (Operations Support) and Assistant Chief Constable (Territorial Policing & Partnerships), as well as a civilian Director of Finance. Force Headquarters are at Middlemoor, near Exeter. The former Deputy Chief Constable, Nigel Arnold became the Acting Chief Constable on 26th July 2006.

The Devon and Cornwall Police Authority is made up of nineteen members - 10 councillors, 3 justices of the peace, and 6 independent members. The councillors are nominated by a committee consisting of members from the Devon, Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay and Isles of Scilly councils.

Contents

[edit] Territorial organisation

The force is divided into four BCUs (Basic Command Units), each commanded by a Chief Superintendent. Each BCU is divided into large Geographic Areas, which are further sub-divided into Sectors, each with one or more police stations. This organisation is slightly different in Plymouth, which is divided directly into Sectors operating out of Plymouth's four police stations, and North and East Devon's Exeter Geographic Area, both of whose Sectors operate out of a single police station. Each Geographic Area is headed by a Chief Inspector and each Sector by an Inspector.

[edit] Force Crime Department

A car of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Enlarge
A car of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary

The Force Crime Department contains the central units of the force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which also has detectives attached to the larger police stations. It is headed by the Force Crime Manager, a Detective Chief Superintendent.

  • The Major Investigation Unit deals with serious crimes such as murder, kidnap, fraud and paedophilia and with crimes that cross boundaries between CID areas and require co-ordination. It is headed by a Detective Superintendent, who is assisted by a number of Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs).
    • The Major Incident Support Team (MIST) provides training and support for major incidents and operations both for the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and the States of Jersey Police.
    • The three Major Crime Investigation Teams (MCITs) based at Newquay, Plymouth and Exeter investigate murders and other suspicious deaths and provide specialist investigative support to CID officers throughout the force.
    • The Economic Crime Section is divided into five separate units:
      • The Financial Investigation Unit mainly deals with the investigation of all confiscation cases under the Drugs Trafficking Act 1994, Criminal Justice Act 1988 and Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. They deal with seizures of over £10,000 and investigate drug trafficking and money laundering offences.
      • The Fraud Squad deals with major fraud cases and allegations of corruption by public officials and bodies.
      • The Hi-Tech Crime Unit is responsible for the forensic examination of computer equipment to gather evidence for prosecution in a variety of cases.
      • The Paedophile Unit investigates allegations of child sexual abuse.
      • The Cheque and Credit Card Fraud Squad investigates the theft and misuse of cheques, credit cards and debit cards.
  • The Covert Operations Unit handles surveillance and major undercover operations. It is headed by a Detective Superintendent assisted by two Detective Chief Inspectors.
    • The Technical Support Unit provides expertise on video, audio, alarms, tracking and positioning systems.
    • The Covert Operations Support Unit co-ordinates force-wide covert operations and training and also handles witness protection.
    • The Force Surveillance Unit (FSU) has sections based in Plymouth and Exeter and provides the force's main covert surveillance capability throughout its area.
  • The Intelligence Unit collects, collates and distributes intelligence and information of use to the force.
    • The Force Intelligence Centre is the main intelligence organ and is staffed by specialists in a variety of criminal areas.
    • The Force National Computer Bureau (FNCB) runs the force's contribution and access to the British Police National Computer (PNC) system.
    • Special Branch is in charge of counterterrorism and other national security matters.
    • The Crime Standards Unit reviews crime reports to ensure that the fullest possible response has been made, analyses crime reports, and processes and researches intelligence.
  • The Performance and Co-ordination Unit is responsible for maintaining investigative standards throughout the force.
    • The Dedicated Source Unit deals with information sources in line with national regulations and standards.
    • The Victim Centred Crime Unit formulates and ensures best practice with regard to issues such as child protection, domestic violence, harassment, missing persons, vice and victim support.
    • The Control Strategy Crime Reduction Unit formulates and ensures best practice with regard to crime control and reduction.
    • The Covert Standards and Authorities Unit ensures force compliance with legislation allowing police forces to contravene the Human Rights Act.
    • The Policy and Performance Unit formulates policy for the whole Force Crime Department.
  • The Scientific and Technical Services Unit analyses forensic evidence gathered by scenes of crime officers based at police stations and provides other technical services to the force. The unit has its own forensic pathologist, the only police-employed pathologist in Britain.
    • The Central Submissions Unit handles the reception and supervision of all DNA samples and enters the details on the UK National DNA Database.
    • The Chemical and Optical Unit enhances and records fingerprints and palmprints on items recovered from crime scenes.
    • The Fingerprint Bureau analyses fingerprints and palmprints, feeds them into national databases and collates the results.
    • The Photographic Unit provides all the force's photographic needs.

[edit] Operations Department

The Operations Department provides uniformed operational support to the force.

  • The Contingency Planning Unit formulates long-term plans to deal with major incidents, including security for VIP visits, counterterrorist operations and reaction to terrorist attacks.
  • The Firearms Unit is responsible for all firearms training and planning (like most British police forces, the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is generally unarmed).
  • The Operations Unit is responsible for traffic policing and tactical support.
    • The seven Roads Policing Sections based around the force area provide the force's main traffic policing capability. They also operate the force's four Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs), which each carry two armed officers and patrol 24 hours a day.
    • The Tactical Aid Group (TAG) is predominantly responsible for public order, marine operations, searches and dealing with potentially violent offenders. It is divided into five sections, including two trained in firearms and one in marine operations.
  • The Air Operations Unit is based at Force Headquarters and operates a single MBB/Kawasaki BK117 helicopter.

[edit] Other departments

  • The Force Planning and Consultation Unit formulates policy and plans and monitors public opinion on policing matters.
  • The Professional Standards Unit is the Internal affairs branch and deals with force discipline and complaints against officers.
  • The Devon and Cornwall Constabulary has one of the largest dog sections in the country, with dogs and handlers based at a number of stations.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are currently based at Honiton, Truro, Camborne, Penzance, Redruth, Pool, Exeter, Exmouth, St. Austell, Newquay, and on the Isles of Scilly. This number is rapidly increasing over the next two years to a projected total of 535 covering all Force stations.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


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Police forces in the United Kingdom

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