Devon & Cornwall Community Scrutiny Panel

Directions Website Contact the organisation

Devon & Cornwall Community Scrutiny Panel Our mission is to build trust and confidence between the police and the community they serve

14/10/2026

S&S Case 2
-
Knife threat report, volatile adults with dog, group of young people

Investigation, responses and learning required with:
Selective searching - rationale not made visible: The young women in the group and one male who returned to the scene were not searched. The panel accepted that proportionate decisions were made, but felt the reasoning could have been more transparent in the moment.

Management of the dog and intoxicated handlers: The panel asked whether there is a protocol for separating an aggressive dog from a volatile encounter, and what the position would be if the dog had bitten someone after officers left the scene given the handlers' apparent intoxication.

S&S BWV 2 ASSESSMENT
✓ Necessary
✓ Proportionate
✓ Ethical
✓ GOWISELY Followed
RESULT = green 2

https://www.dccspanel.org.uk/news-media/september-2026

14/10/2026

S&S Case 2
-
KNIFE THREAT REPORT AND VOLATILE ADULTS WITH DOG

Actions to be commended:
Situational control: The officer arrived to a report of knife threats, faced two intoxicated adults with an aggressive dog on one side and a group of young people on the other, all in a live road environment.

The panel recognised that his use of direct, commanding language was a deliberate and trained response to a genuinely dangerous scene, and noted that no force was used despite the level of chaos.

Appropriate handling of the young people: Despite the volatility surrounding the encounter, the officer remained considerate and relatively informal with the young people, who cooperated throughout. Panel members noted that none of them were handcuffed, which was felt to be the right call.

S&S BWV 2 ASSESSMENT
✓ Necessary
✓ Proportionate
✓ Ethical
✓ GOWISELY Followed
RESULT = green 2

https://www.dccspanel.org.uk/news-media/september-2026

Callington Police Paignton Police Camborne, Pool and Redruth Police Police Community

S&S Case 2 - KNIFE THREAT REPORT AND VOLATILE ADULTS WITH DOGActions to be commended: Situational control: The officer a...
14/10/2026

S&S Case 2
-
KNIFE THREAT REPORT AND VOLATILE ADULTS WITH DOG

Actions to be commended:
Situational control: The officer arrived to a report of knife threats, faced two intoxicated adults with an aggressive dog on one side and a group of young people on the other, all in a live road environment.

The panel recognised that his use of direct, commanding language was a deliberate and trained response to a genuinely dangerous scene, and noted that no force was used despite the level of chaos.

Appropriate handling of the young people: Despite the volatility surrounding the encounter, the officer remained considerate and relatively informal with the young people, who cooperated throughout. Panel members noted that none of them were handcuffed, which was felt to be the right call.

S&S BWV 2 ASSESSMENT
✓ Necessary
✓ Proportionate
✓ Ethical
✓ GOWISELY Followed
RESULT = green 2

https://www.dccspanel.org.uk/news-media/september-2026

Callington Police Torquay Police Paignton Police Camborne, Pool and Redruth Police Police Community

13/10/2026

S&S Case 2
-
Knife threat report, volatile adults with dog, group of young people

Actions to be commended:
Situational control: The officer arrived to a report of knife threats, faced two intoxicated adults with an aggressive dog on one side and a group of young people on the other, all in a live road environment.

The panel recognised that his use of direct, commanding language was a deliberate and trained response to a genuinely dangerous scene, and noted that no force was used despite the level of chaos.

Appropriate handling of the young people: Despite the volatility surrounding the encounter, the officer remained considerate and relatively informal with the young people, who cooperated throughout. Panel members noted that none of them were handcuffed, which was felt to be the right call.

S&S BWV 2 ASSESSMENT
✓ Necessary
✓ Proportionate
✓ Ethical
✓ GOWISELY Followed
RESULT = green 2

https://www.dccspanel.org.uk/news-media/september-2026

12/10/2026

S&S Case 1
-
A GROUP IDENTIFIED BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AS HAVING JUST STOLEN FROM ICELAND RAN ON POLICE ARRIVAL

Response received from visiting BCU Commander

“I made the same observation; It's our largest geographical sector in the force, so we are healthily staffed on paper in terms of a threshold that we maintain safety on an ongoing basis.

The reality of how that feels and how long it would take for backup to arrive can be very different based on where you are and what time of day it is. In an urban environment, perhaps much less of a wait, but this officer could be travelling from a distant location, they could be coming across the border”

https://www.dccspanel.org.uk/news-media/september-2026



Police Community

S&S Case 1 - A GROUP IDENTIFIED BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AS HAVING JUST STOLEN STEAKS FROM ICELAND RAN ON POLICE ARRIVA...
12/10/2026

S&S Case 1
-
A GROUP IDENTIFIED BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AS HAVING JUST STOLEN STEAKS FROM ICELAND RAN ON POLICE ARRIVAL, AND FOUR PACKETS OF STEAK WERE FOUND CONCEALED BEHIND A NEARBY BUS STOP.

Response received from visiting BCU Commander

“I made the same observation; It's our largest geographical sector in the force, so we are healthily staffed on paper in terms of a threshold that we maintain safety on an ongoing basis.

The reality of how that feels and how long it would take for backup to arrive can be very different based on where you are and what time of day it is. In an urban environment, perhaps much less of a wait, but this officer could be travelling from a distant location, they could be coming across the border.

On that basis I made a similar observation about one person managing four young people on their own, acting practically on information and intelligence, which is no mean feat whilst awaiting backup. We are well staffed in terms of we don't currently have a staffing issue, but depending on where you are and when, it could be one.”

https://www.dccspanel.org.uk/news-media/september-2026



Police Community

12/10/2026

S&S Case 1
-
A group identified by a member of the public as having just stolen steaks from Iceland ran on police arrival, and four packets of steak were found concealed behind a nearby bus stop.

Investigation, responses and learning required with:
Tone of voice: Panel members felt the officer's tone was occasionally challenging in a way that, while understandable, could have been moderated without losing authority particularly given that some of those present were under 16.

Narration of the search: The male officer who attended as backup conducted his search without explaining what he was doing. The panel felt this was a missed opportunity, particularly given the age of those being searched.

Officer safety, handling unknown substances: The officer was observed picking up and sniffing an unidentified item. The panel's view was that unknown substances should be bagged and sent for testing rather than handled or smelled at the scene.

S&S BWV 1 ASSESSMENT
✓ Necessary
✓ Proportionate
✓ Ethical
✓ GOWISELY Followed
__________________
RESULT = green 1
__________________
https://www.dccspanel.org.uk/news-media/september-2026

12/10/2026

WHEN OUR VOLUNTEERS REVIEW BODY-WORN VIDEO FOOTAGE, WE USE THE ACRONYM GOWISELY

GOWISELY is a mandatory acronym used by Devon & Cornwall Police during a stop and search to explain your rights and ensure the search is lawful

People are more likely to have a positive attitude during encounters when officers explain their decision making, offer reassurance, ask them about their wellbeing and are polite.

G
A clear explanation of the officer’s grounds for suspicion – for example, information, intelligence or specific behaviour of a person.
O
A clear explanation of the object and purpose of the search in terms of the article being searched for.
W
Warrant card, if not in uniform or if requested.
I
Identity of the officer(s): name and number or, in cases involving terrorism or where there is a specific risk to the officer, just warrant or collar number.
S
Station to which the officer is attached.
E
Entitlement to a copy of the search record within three months.
L
Legal power used.
Y
You are detained for the purposes of a search.

If the person understands the reasons for an officer’s action, they are more likely to accept it and not see it as arbitrary or unfair. To maximise the person’s understanding before starting the search, officers exercising stop and search powers must adopt the following steps in accordance with GOWISELY:

https://www.college.police.uk/app/stop-and-search/professional


Address

South West
Torquay

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Devon & Cornwall Community Scrutiny Panel posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Devon & Cornwall Community Scrutiny Panel:

Shortcuts

Share

Category