THIS month marks 10 eventful and unforgettable years since I was elected as your Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

One of the things I am most proud of is delivering on the promise to recruit record numbers of police officers. Numbers are now at a record high of 3,610.

I am equally proud of having opened more police enquiry offices since 2016 than any other police force in the country.

A controversial decision I still stand behind was opposing the business case to merge Devon and Cornwall Police with Dorset Police in 2018. But eight years on, mergers are now back on the table under new policing reforms proposed by the government.

A need to make our roads safer was the inspiration behind launching Vision Zero South West in 2019 which is a partnership that brings together key partners who share the ambitious aim of halving the number of deaths and serious injuries on the region's roads by 2030, with the long-term goal of reducing them to zero. Latest statistics show we are on our way to achieving that.

Another important part of my role is holding the police to account which includes dealing with allegations of police misconduct at the highest level. No Commissioner wants to have had to deal with the suspension of a Chief Constable and then the Acting Chief Constable. But since December 2024, there has been stability and huge improvements within Devon and Cornwall Police have been made under the experienced leadership of Chief Constable James Vaughan QPM.

Last July, the force was removed from enhanced monitoring by the police inspectorate, nearly three years after being placed in what is commonly referred to as “special measures”. Significant failings had been identified around performance areas such as how the force was responding to emergency calls, recording crimes and investigating cases.

Scrutiny carried out by my office meant the issues were already beginning to be tackled but the reasons for the decline were varied. They included the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and how those rules were enforced in policing, distractions caused by the proposed merger with Dorset, policing the G7 summit which was held in Cornwall in 2021, and the aftermath of the catastrophic mass shootings of five people in Keyham, also in 2021, which identified significant failings within the force.

There have since been major improvements, particularly around firearms, and I can reassure that the force does now have a better grip on performance, but there is still work to do in many areas.

A consistent throughout my 10 years as commissioner has been being your voice in policing by carefully listening to what is important to you.

My term in office will end in May 2028 which is when commissioners will be abolished and replaced with elected mayors or, as will be the case in Devon and Cornwall, a new Police and Crime Board made up of local council leaders.