Editing Devon and Cornwall Police (section)

==Organisation==
{{As of|2020|9}}, the force has 3,593 individual [[police officer]]s, 549 [[special constable]]s, 320 [[police community support officer]]s (PCSO), and 2,236 staff.<ref name = hostats >{{cite web | url = https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1005761/open-data-table-police-workforce-280721.ods | publisher  = Home Office | title = Police workforce, England and Wales, 31 March 2021: workforce open data tables | access-date = 22 February 2022 | date = 28 July 2021}}</ref> Training for new recruits is held at the Headquarters in Middlemoor. For constables, it consists of eight months training and a two-year probationary period. For special constables it consists of three months of online learning and practical weekends training and a two-year probationary period or less, dependent on the number of tours of duty. For PCSOs, it consists of 18 weeks training and a 15-week probationary period. Recruits receive their warrant card and uniform in the first two months of training.

The force is divided into four [[Basic Command Unit]]s (BCU), each commanded by a [[Chief Superintendent]].  Geographically larger BCUs are further split into Local Policing Areas (LPAs), under a [[Superintendent (police)|Superintendent]], which are further sub-divided into Sectors, each under an [[Inspector]].  The Plymouth and South Devon BCUs only contain one LPA, being divided directly into sectors.  Most sectors contain a police station, while in Plymouth there are numerous neighbourhood bases or police stations (Crownhill, Charles Cross, Plympton, Devonport).

Each BCU will have several specialist teams, including Patrol, [[Neighbourhood policing team|Neighbourhood Policing Teams]], a [[Criminal investigation department|Criminal Investigation Department]] and various pro-active policing units to target persistent criminals and focus on specific operations.

The four BCUs are:
*Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly BCU 
**East Cornwall geographic LPA
**West Cornwall geographic LPA
*South Devon BCU
*Devon BCU
**Exeter East and Mid geographic LPA
**North and West Devon geographic LPA
*Plymouth BCU
**Plymouth geographic area

=== Force contact centre ===
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The force contact centre is located at two sites: police HQ in Middlemoor, Exeter and Crownhill police station in Plymouth, both operating 24/7. Calls from all parts of the force are assigned to the next available agent, whichever site they are working from. Calls are answered by trained civilian staff, with police officers in some supporting and supervisory roles. Both 999/112 and non-emergency calls are answered by multiskilled staff, with other duties including the Force Switchboard, found property recording, crime recording, requests from other police forces, emails from the public, and the force website. Radio dispatch officers are located in the control rooms at both sites and deploy police officers following calls for service from the contact centre. The two control rooms use the national Airwave emergency service secure radio system, which is due to be replaced in the early 2020s.

===Operations department===
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The operations department provides uniformed operational support to the force, and is responsible for traffic policing and tactical support.

====Roads policing Team====
Devon and Cornwall Police patrol a section of the [[M5 motorway|M5]], as well as many 'A' roads. The team is split up into 5 stations across the force. These are Exeter, Plymouth, Barnstaple, Bodmin and Camborne. They deploy in marked and unmarked high performance vehicles. The unit also has officers that patrol on marked and unmarked motorcycles.

Roads Policing officers conduct proactive enforcement on the roads as well as investigating serious and fatal road traffic collisions. 

Under the Roads Policing Team is the No Excuse Team. This is a proactive roads policing team that deploy predominantly in unmarked high performance vehicles to enforce against Fatal 5 offences.

====Force Support Group====
The Force Support Group (FSG), previously called the Tactical Aid Group (TAG), is predominantly responsible for public order, marine operations, searches and dealing with potentially violent offenders.

The FSG's Marine Support Unit, also known as FSG D Section, is responsible for [[police diving|underwater search]] and [[water police|marine operations]].

====Dog section====
The force has [[police dog]]s, which are trained in a variety of roles including drugs dogs, explosives dogs and firearms support dogs. 
The unit, which is headed up by an [[Police inspector|inspector]], is based at headquarters in Middlemoor, in [[Exeter]].

====Armed response ====
Also under Devon and Cornwall's Operations Department is the Firearms Unit. All officers are trained as Armed Response Vehicle Officers (ARVOs), with the additional Tactical Firearms Team (TFT) who are SFO's. The ARVs are tasked with responding to incidents where firearms and other weapons are involved. They are routinely armed.

==== Air Operations Unit====
Air support is provided by the [[National Police Air Service]] (NPAS), which operates a [[Police aviation|dedicated police helicopter]] out of [[Exeter Airport]].

The now-closed Air Operations Unit previous flew a [[MBB/Kawasaki BK 117]]. It took delivery of a [[Eurocopter EC145]] in April 2010, with its call sign being OSCAR 99. The unit was able scramble in two minutes and could reach most areas of the force within 15 minutes.<ref name="shephard">{{cite web|url=http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/rotorhub/devon-amp-cornwall-police-take-delivery-of-a-new-ec145-helicopter/5803/|title=Devon & Cornwall Police take delivery of a new EC145 helicopter|work=shephard.co.uk|access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref>

===Force crime department===
The force crime department contains the central units of the force's [[Criminal Investigation Department]] (CID), which also has [[detective]]s attached to the larger police stations. It is headed by the force crime manager, a detective chief superintendent. It also comprises the major crime branch, covert operations unit, intelligence unit, performance and co-ordination unit, scientific and technical services unit.

===Other departments===
*The Contingency Planning Unit formulates long-term plans to deal with major incidents, including security for VIP visits, counterterrorist operations and reaction to terrorist attacks.
*The Force Planning and Consultation Unit formulates policy and plans and monitors public opinion on policing matters.
*The Professional Standards Department deals with force discipline and complaints against officers.