RESIDENTS across the region have expressed clear support for Devon & Cornwall Police continuing as a single force, according to the results of a recent survey.

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s 2026 ‘Your Safety, Your Say’ survey, which launched in December 2025, received 1,533 responses between December 11 and January 12 — an 18 per cent increase on the same period the previous year and well above the sample size required for statistically significant results.

The survey remains active online for people to submit their views, but initial results have been collated to help set the policing part of the council tax.

In November, the Government announced that Police and Crime Commissioners will not be replaced when their current terms of office end in May 2028.

The Government is expected to announce further policing reforms before the end of January and it’s been reported that this could include police force mergers.

When asked about the possibility of police force mergers, 66 per cent of survey respondents said they would like Devon & Cornwall Police to continue in its current form.

Nearly 18 per cent of people expressed a preference for a South West regional force merging five forces, nearly 13 per cent were in favour of a single force for England and 1.5 per cent supported the creation of a separate Cornwall-only police force.

Comments from respondents showed a range of views, but many emphasised the importance of service quality.

Alongside views on force structure, the survey explored public confidence in policing.

Confidence in Devon & Cornwall Police appears to have increased year on year, with 32 per cent of respondents saying they feel ‘confident’ or ‘extremely confident’ in the force, compared with 29 per cent last year.

People continue to report higher levels of confidence in local policing than in policing across the UK as a whole.

Antisocial behaviour (ASB) was identified as the top issue residents want the police to tackle, followed by drugs, people carrying weapons, dangerous driving and shoplifting.

These were the same top five concerns as in last year’s survey, with antisocial behaviour also most frequently selected as the area needing further investment under the Police and Crime Plan.

The survey also highlighted strong public support for increased funding to tackle violence against women and girls.

Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: ‘I would like to thank everyone who has filled out our survey.

‘It is reassuring to see my priorities continue to be aligned with the things that matter most to people’.

The findings of the annual survey will help inform future decisions on policing priorities, ensuring that public views continue to shape policing across Devon and Cornwall.

It is a statutory requirement that the Commissioner carries out a survey every year as part of the process to set the police part of the council tax.

Councillors on the Police and Crime Panel will have the opportunity to consider the Commissioner’s budget proposal, including the level of the policing precept in the 2026-27 council tax bill, at a meeting on Friday, January 30.

To complete the Your Safety, Your Say survey, please visit Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office | Commonplace