Devon and Cornwall Police

• Bodmin Sector (also Wadebridge)
• Launceston Sector (also Bude & Camelford)
• Liskeard Sector (also Looe, Torpoint, Saltash & Callington)

• Truro Sector (also Perranporth and Tregony)
• Newquay Sector (also St Columb Major)
• St Austell Sector (also St Blazey, Fowey, Lostwithiel, Mevagissey and Grampound)

• Penzance & St Ives Sector (also Hayle & Isles of Scilly)
• Camborne Sector (also Redruth)
• Helston and Falmouth Sector

• Teignmouth & Dawlish Sector
• Chudleigh & Ashburton Sector (also Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead)
• Newton Abbot Sector
• Ivybridge Sector
• Kingsbridge & Dartmouth Sector
• Ivybridge Sector
• Totnes Sector (also South Brent)

• Torquay Sector
• Paignton & Brixham Sector

• Exeter "Sidmouth Road" Police Station

• Rural East Devon Sector (Axminster, Seaton, Sidmouth, Honiton and Ottery St Mary)
• Exmouth & Budleigh Salterton
• Mid-Devon Sector (Cullompton, Crediton and Tiverton)

• Barnstaple Sector
• Torridge Sector (Bideford, Holsworthy and Torrington)
• North Devon Sector (Ilfracombe, Braunton, South Molton and Lynton)
• Okehampton Sector
• Tavistock Sector

• Plymouth Central Sector (Charles Cross Police Station)
• Plymouth Devonport and West Sector (Devonport Police Office)
• Plymouth East Sector (Charles Cross Police Station)
• Plymouth North Sector (Crownhill Police Station)
• Plymouth South Sector (Charles Cross Police Station)

The Force Contact Centre is located at two sites; Police HQ in Middlemoor, Exeter and Crownhill Police Station in Plymouth, both operating 24/7. Calls from all parts of the force area are assigned at random to one of the two sites, and mostly answered by civilian staff, with police officers in command and support roles. Both 999/112 and non-emergency calls are answered by multiskilled staff, with other duties including the Force Switchboard, found property recording, crime recording, requests from other police forces, emails from the public, and the force website.

Before 2011, Devon & Cornwall Police was contactable on an 0845 number before moving to the national Single Non-Emergency Number (SNEN) 101. The conversion to 101 did not change any processes, policies, sites or staff for Devon & Cornwall Police. The Force Switchboard serves to triage non-emergency calls from the public, to ensure that emergency calls are transferred to an emergency operator, non-emergency calls are dealt with promptly, and calls that are not a police matter are referred to the correct agency, or advice given at the first point of contact. The Force Switchboard can also be used to request to speak to individual officers or departments within the organisation. Radio Dispatch Officers are located at both sites and deploy police officers following calls for service from the Call Handlers.

Since 2014, the Force Contact Centre has been staffed by a mental health professional able to assist operators with dealing with calls involving mental health issues, including potential suicide attempts. This initiative has had a significant impact on the number of persons detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Support is offered to Force Contact Centre staff who have dealt with distressing incidents. Like police officers, Force Contact Centre staff are bound by policy and legislation, but also are supported in using discretion and common sense in dealing with calls for service, taking into account the risk, harm, threat and vulnerability of a caller. Since early 2015, staff have been encouraged to undertake enhanced suicide intervention training, to act as both a single point of contact for a suicide caller (with the benefits of developing a rapport) and to serve as an intermediate stage between first contact call handlers and police negotiators.

Training for Force Contact Centre staff consists of eight weeks of mixed classroom and in-house tuition, the latter conducted with the assistance of a mentor, and a probationary period of 12 months. In early 2015, a two-year minimum tenure was imposed on recruits into the Force Contact Centre to discourage candidates from using it as a "foot in the door" to other areas of the police environment.

The Operations Department provides uniformed operational support to the force, and is responsible for traffic policing and tactical support.

Devon and Cornwall Police patrol 20 miles (32 km) of the M5 which has six junctions, as well as many other 'A' roads including the A30, A377, A38, A303, A386, A388, A39, A390, A391, A395, A394 and A376. The unit is split up into seven road policing sectors.

Devon and Cornwall Police has officers that patrol on police motorcycles. Motorcycle officers are exempt from wearing body armour as they have to wear motorcycle leathers.

The Force Support group (FSG), previously called the Tactical Aid Group (TAG), are predominantly responsible for public order, marine operations, searches and dealing with potentially violent offenders. It is divided into several sections, including two trained in firearms and one in marine operations.

The FSG'sMarine Support Unit, also known as Force Support Group (FSG) D Section is responsible for underwater search and marine operations. It consists of one sergeant and six constables, all trained divers, and operates a rigid-hulled inflatable boat capable of 45 knots.

Devon and Cornwall Police have officers that patrol the streets and attend incidents with police dogs. The force mainly use German Shepherds, but also have other types of dogs. The dogs are trained in a variety of roles including drugs dogs, explosives dogs and firearms support dogs. Devon and Cornwall Police are the first police force to train dogs to search for missing persons. The unit, which is headed up by an Inspector, is based at headquarters in Middlemoor, in Exeter.

Devon and Cornwall Police's Armed Response Unit (ARU) is a sub-department of the Operations department that is tasked with responding to incidents where firearms are involved as well as this they partake in traffic duties. The unit responds to incidents with firearms, and are the only officers in the force who are routinely armed.

The Air Operations Unit is now part of the National Police Air Service (NPAS), which at present is based at Exeter International Airport and operates a helicopter that provides support quickly and in remote and dangerous places. Devon and Cornwall Police were the first police force in the country to employ the use of a helicopter full-time when the unit was founded in 1979.

The unit used to use a single MBB/Kawasaki BK 117. DCP took delivery of a Eurocopter EC145 in April 2010, with its call sign being OSCAR 99, but it is now known as NPAS 44. The unit can scramble in two minutes and can reach most areas of the force within 15 minutes. With the advent of the NPAS in October 2012, the helicopter and associated assets move from D&C Police to NPAS, and the staff are currently on secondment to the NPAS. The helicopter has moved to Exeter International Airport, and the staff move to NPAS; thus D&C no longer have an independent air support unit, but use the NPAS to cover their resource needs.[6]

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 Crime Branch deals with serious crimes such as murder, kidnap, fraud and paedophilia and with crimes that cross boundaries between BCUs and require co-ordination. It contains three Detective Superintendents, all of whom are 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 four Major Crime Investigation Teams (MCIT) based at Newquay, Plymouth, South West Devon 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 Drug Trafficking Act 1994, Criminal Justice Act 2003 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.

• The Firearms Unit is responsible for all firearms training, planning and licensing.
• 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 Force Planning and Consultation Unit formulates policy and plans and monitors public opinion on policing matters.
• The Professional Standards Unit deals with force discipline and complaints against officers.

Male police officers of the rank of constable or sergeant wear the traditional custodian helmet when on foot patrol and as part of formal dress. A peaked cap with a chequered Sillitoe tartan band is worn by more senior male officers, and when on mobile patrol in vehicles. Female officers wear a bowler hat, also with Sillitoe tartan, under all circumstances. Traffic police headgear is the same as that for any other vehicle patrol but has a white rather than a black top, originally designed to aid visibility before the advent of fluorescent fabrics. PCSOs wear a peaked cap or bowler hat, but with a blue band.

When on operational duty, officers wear black wicken layer tops with black trousers and a black fleece with POLICE written on the chest and back. All officers are required to wear stab vests when on operational duty. Collar numbers for constables and sergeants, along with rank insignia for sergeants and above are worn either on epaulettes on the shoulder, or on patches on the upper arm, depending on the item of clothing. PCSOs wear a similar uniform, but with blue epaulettes rather than black.[7]

Formal dress comprises an open-necked tunic, and a white shirt/blouse with a black tie for officers of all genders.[8] Constables and sergeants have collar numbers on their epaulettes, sergeants wear rank insignia on their sleeve, while all higher-ranked officers wear name badges and their rank on their epaulettes. Gloves are sometimes worn.

Officers carry Airwave TETRA digital radios, personal digital assistants, Hiatt rigid handcuffs, PAVA spray, the TCH 21" or Monadnock 26" collapsible baton, leg restraints, a resuscitation mask and a basic first aid kit. PCSO's do not carry batons, handcuffs, leg restraints or PAVA. Police vehicles contain a variety of equipment, which can include straight batons, traffic cones, road signs, breathalyzers, stingers, speed guns and more.

A Devon and Cornwall Police BMW 5 Series

A Devon and Cornwall Police Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Devon and Cornwall Police use many different makes of vehicles from several different car manufacturers for different purposes. The most common vehicle in the fleet is the Vauxhall Astra. All marked, operational vehicles use yellow and blue retro-reflective battenberg markings, with the force's crest. The older 'jam sandwich' style markings were phased out between 2000 and 2005.

Between 1856 and 1947 police in Devon and Cornwall came under 26 different forces, all using different names. They were gradually absorbed into two of the existing forces called Devon and Exeter Constabulary and Cornwall County Constabulary, except Plymouth City Police which remained separate. In 1967 the three remaining forces were amalgamated into one called Devon & Cornwall Constabulary or Devon & Cornwall Police[9][10]

In 2006 the Home Office announced plans to reduce the number of police forces in the UK from 42 to 24 in an attempt to save money. The plans were abandoned later that year due to lack of funding for the mergers, however the idea has resurfaced many times.

The proposed idea would see Devon and Cornwall Police merge with Gloucestershire Constabulary, Wiltshire Police, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Dorset Police.

The plans have been publicly criticised by all the involved forces, stating that it would lead to poor quality service and a reduction in local policing.[19]

The Devon and Cornwall Police Pipes and Drum Band is a band made up of pipe and drums players who play on behalf of the police force in aid of charity. The band plays at fundraising events for Devon Air Ambulance, Help for Heroes and other events, as well at police occasions such as officer graduations.

The band is made up of officers and employees of Devon and Cornwall Police, as well as some members who are not related to the police. The band is not funded or related to the police force but do have permission to use their name and uniform.[20]

The Devon and Cornwall RFC was formed in 1967 following the amalgamation of the Devon, Cornwall and Plymouth Constabularies clubs. A few midweek and Sunday games were played and players were encouraged to play for club sides on Saturdays. However the Saturday team was disbanded in May 1995 due to operational commitments. Today the force still manages to bring together a team when necessary, and play in the National Cup Competition every year.[21]

The force has been involved in a number of social media "blunders", including officers making inappropriate use of Facebook and Twitter, and a Twitter campaign image that had to be withdrawn when it was pointed out that it appeared to depict a police riot officer beating a person lying on the ground with a truncheon.[22]

Stella was a dog that was seized in 2014. The department then put the dog in a 3 ft by 9 ft cage in Devon until 2016 when a destruction order for Stella was passed by Torquay Magistrates' Court. The dog was reported to have no exercise and was left in the cage for 24 hours a day for nearly two years. The BBC report of Stella sparked outrage on social media around the world and is the topic of numerous crowd funding efforts to save Stella. The courts had until 8 March 2016 to appeal the euthanasia of Stella.[23]

• Devon & Cornwall YouTube channel