Police and crime commissioner for Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly, Alison Hernandez, has decided to step away from party politics. She will continue to serve as an independent, without any political affiliations, for the rest of her term of office.
Alison Hernandez
In November, the government announced that police and crime commissioners will not be replaced when their current terms of office end in May 2028.
Further police reforms are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, with the government due to publish a white paper.
In September, St Ives Town Council passed a motion expressing no confidence in both the office of police and crime commissioner, and in Ms Hernandez herself.
She said: “I have decided to step away from party politics and become an independent. I believe it will enable me to fight to secure the policing resources we have in Devon and Cornwall, 43% of which is funded by all of us through our council tax. The imminent government white paper on policing worries me.
“Rushed timescales, work done in secret with little consultation, this feels like something being done to the police and the people, not being done with or for us. And the timing of the abolition of PCCs, again not planned, makes me anxious for our area.
“We cannot afford for party politics to get in the way of ensuring we all work together to get the best deal for the people of Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly.”
