Devon and Cornwall DCC announces retirement

Mr Netherton is currently on secondment to the Home Office, providing support in respect of the national policing response to Covid-19 and was integral to the policing preparation for Brexit.

He began his police career in 1990 in Surrey Police, working in various uniform and operational roles, before transferring to Hampshire Constabulary in 2001 and spending a year in the Home Office Performance and Standards unit.

He joined Devon and Cornwall Police as assistant chief constable in April 2008 and became deputy chief constable in May 2017.

He is the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for civil contingencies, responding to national emergencies and regularly attending the Government’s Cobra meetings.

He also works with the Met Office and the University of Exeter around climate change and chairs the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. In recognition of outstanding work in these areas, he was appointed OBE in 2019.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said: “I would like to offer my enduring thanks and very best wishes to a colleague who has contributed so much to the communities he serves here within the peninsula but also his achievements nationally and internationally.

“Paul has achieved so much within his career but also in his voluntary contributions, such as the Christian Police Association. He leaves so many individual legacies and friendships within the force that his mark upon it will last for many decades to come.”

Mr Netherton said: “I have been incredibly proud to have spent over thirty years in the police service working alongside some amazing and incredibly dedicated people.

“Devon and Cornwall is one of the best police forces in the world and, despite the challenges we face, continues to deliver an excellent service with local community focused policing at its heart and I have many happy memories of policing the two counties and the Isles of Scilly.

“I have also been really proud to be the president of the Christian Police Association working with faith groups and Christian police officers across the country to build long term partnerships and solutions to some of society’s biggest issues.

“However, it is in my role as police lead for civil contingencies that I feel I leave a legacy having dealt with some challenging incidents from floods, to fires and terrorism, disorder and of course Covid to finish on.

“I will miss work colleagues both in the police, in partner agencies and across the communities of Devon and Cornwall. Although leaving the police I will continue to work in the world of civil contingencies, risk management and major incident command but I will also take time to do a bit more sailing and skiing than I have managed over the past few years.”