Survey launched to gather opinions on police mergers in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Residents encouraged to share their views on potential police force reforms
A new survey aims to gather opinions from people in Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly regarding proposed mergers of police forces across England and Wales.
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez initiated the consultation to ensure that local voices are considered in the debate over policing reforms announced by the government in January.
The proposed changes involve potentially merging the current 43 police forces into larger regional units. This has sparked concern due to the unique challenges faced by Devon and Cornwall Police, which covers a vast geographic area.
The survey asks participants whether merging Devon & Cornwall Police with other forces would be beneficial, as well as questions about potential risks and impacts on policing.
Commissioner Hernandez said, "It is vital the government doesn’t adopt a one size fits all approach for the whole country because each area has its own different challenges.
“Our force area is already extremely large due to our unique geography and there are specific policing requirements for our region, including an influx of tourists in the summer.
“A merger of any scale would make our force area become significantly bigger, but what is not yet clear is whether that means services will be better.
“It is not yet clear what savings, if any, will be achieved under the reforms. My view is it needs to demonstrated how a merger will benefit the size and complexity of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. "
The survey is open for responses until 23.45 on 12th July 2026, and the opinions collected will inform Commissioner Hernandez's recommendations to the government.
For more information and to participate in the survey, residents can visit the OPCC website.