Chief constable retires whilst suspended

Will Kerr and his boss say 'it's time to move on'

Devon and Cornwall's most senior police officer is retiring without returning to the role following two years under suspension.

Will Kerr and the region's police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez have reached the decision by what they say is mutual consent.

 Mr Kerr has been under investigation for several years by bodies in Northern Ireland but hasn't been charged with any offence.

He says the believes the accusations were malicious, and he's been cleared of them. He continued: "I have decided that it’s now in the best interests of my family and the force that I retire as chief constable.

“After nearly 36 years of public service, this is not the way I would have chosen to retire but the Force, and communities across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, deserve stable leadership in policing."

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into Mr Kerr continues and isn't related to those now-dismissed criminal allegations in Northern Ireland.

Commissioner Hernandez said: “Suspension from duty is a neutral act and there is always a presumption of innocence until proved otherwise.  

“I have now agreed Mr Kerr’s departure from the force to allow processes for new and stable leadership to take Devon and Cornwall Police forward as this is now in the best interests of all parties.  

“Mr Kerr’s skills and experience will be a loss to UK policing. I remain frustrated at the amount of time this investigation has taken and the way that cross jurisdictional issues have lengthened the process during separate investigations by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and now the IOPC. 

“His departure does not signal guilt, but instead a deep appreciation of the need for Devon & Cornwall Police to move forward with stable leadership from a substantive chief constable.

 “James Vaughan will continue as Interim chief constable until a new recruitment process is complete. In accordance with police misconduct regulations, the investigations will continue.”