POLICE in Devon have been handed a ‘can do better’ report on their protection and support of vulnerable people in the community.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies says there is room for improvement by the force, although generally it provided a good service.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said: ‘Although the HMIC has suggested we require improvement, their inspection has said we are largely performing well in the majority of areas, and those areas identified during the HMIC inspection some 12 months ago, have been addressed and improved upon.’

He insisted protecting the vulnerable in the community was critical to Devon and Cornwall Police’s mission ‘and an absolute priority area for me.’

He stressed: ‘Across many areas, such as child sexual exploitation, hate crime, modern slavery and cyber crime – assessing vulnerability is at the core of everything we do.’

HMIC said Devon and Cornwall was providing a good service by identifying vulnerable people and responding to their needs across the board.

The force also emerged unscathed after an HMIC report on its handling of domestic abuse crimes.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Middleton said: ‘Domestic abuse victims are some of the most vulnerable in society. The report shows we are identifying a high number of domestic abuse cases, sorting these effectively and then responding in the right and appropriate manner to these reports.’

He added: ‘Victims of domestic abuse are not always looking for a criminal justice outcome or indeed arrest. Often it is a case of ensuring victims have support, reassurance, safeguarding and protection is in place.

‘We continue to work closer than ever with partner agencies to ensure domestic abuse is identified and dealt with effectively so victims have somewhere to turn and can feel confident in reporting matters to those agencies who can offer the best support.’