The acting chief constable of Devon and Cornwall has been suspended from his £180,000-a-year job over claims he misused his work phone, 18 months after his predecessor was also suspended.
Jim Colwell has been placed under investigation for gross misconduct by the police watchdog, triggering fears that the force in south-west England may go into “freefall”, according to one senior policing source.
In July 2023, Will Kerr was suspended as chief constable of Devon and Cornwall over criminal allegations of serious sexual assault, which he denies. He remains suspended and under investigation.
Colwell stepped up to fill the top job temporarily having served only six months as deputy chief constable. He is now under investigation over the use of his work phone and his alleged conduct over a force disciplinary issue.
The force remains in special measures, placed there by the policing inspectorate which assessed it was failing and lacked a plan to improve.
In a statement, the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, said: “Following a referral from the Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner on Monday 25 November we have started an independent investigation into the conduct of acting chief constable Jim Colwell.
“On Wednesday he was served a notice telling him he is being investigated for potential gross misconduct in respect of his use of a work-issue mobile phone to exchange messages of a personal nature without a policing purpose.
“The notice also relates to his alleged conduct concerning a force disciplinary matter. Our investigation is in its very early stages. The serving of such a notice advises an officer their conduct is subject to investigation and does not necessarily mean that any proceedings will follow.”
A former close colleague of Colwell said he was “straight as they come”, adding: “He doesn’t even swear in meetings.” Another source said: “He drives at 29 in a 30 mile an hour zone.”
The police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, Alison Hernandez, had already been exasperated by having to pay two chief constables’ salaries for more than a year.
The investigation into Kerr relates to allegations from his time as an officer in Northern Ireland and was being led by the police ombudsman of Northern Ireland. He has remained on full pay of £184,272 while that investigation continues, and a file seeking a decision on whether to charge or not is with Northern Ireland’s prosecution service.
Colwell’s suspension, expected to be on full pay, means the salary of a third chief constable will now have to be paid once another acting chief constable can be found for the troubled force.
In a statement, Hernandez, who made the decision to suspend, said: “Suspension is a neutral act to enable an independent and thorough investigation to take place. I … fully understand that there may be concerns within the force, in our communities and with our partners in relation to this suspension. I share those concerns and resolving leadership issues in the force remains my most pressing priority.”
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary is urgently assessing whether the force has the resilience to manage.
Colwell joins a phalanx of chief officers from the 43 local forces in England and Wales currently under suspension or investigation. They include the chief constable of Gloucestershire police, his deputy, and an assistant chief constable in Cheshire. The chief constable in Nottinghamshire is under investigation, as is a former chief constable of Humberside. Furthermore, West Mercia is without a permanent chief constable, as are Warwickshire and, now, Devon and Cornwall.
