Twenty seven crimes against councillors have been recorded over the last 12 months under the police’s Operation Ford initiative in Devon and Cornwall.
But more needs to be done to better protect elected representatives, a police and crime panel meeting has heard.
Mostly malicious communications, the crimes reported are believed to be the tip of the iceberg as many elected representatives have “kept things hidden” to not put people off joining public life.
At a meeting on Friday, members of the Devon and Cornwall police and crime panel spoke out about death threats, verbal abuse and physical attacks they or colleagues had experienced.
Cllr Philip Hackett (Ind, Torridge District Council) said he had experienced someone driving a car at him, multiple verbal threats and death threats, abuse in his parish magazine and his dog being reported as vicious.
He said it had been going on for ten years
“One person came up to me and said ‘I hope you die a horrible death’ over a planning application,” he said.
A former jump jockey, Cllr Hackett said he had developed a thick skin from dealing with the national press during his career and did not expect special privileges but it had come to a point where his partner wanted to move.
“We need to look at Operation Ford in a broader context too,” he added. “Our planning enforcement officers get targeted and when they are out there on their own they feel vulnerable.”
Cllr Chris Penberthy (Lab, Plymouth City Council) described a situation where a female colleague was being assaulted for “just wearing a Labour badge” but he explained that the police were initially slow in responding through Operation Ford despite the “red flags”, and it took five people to report it to get it escalated.
Operation Ford was set up in 2025 to enhance the security and support offered to councillors at district level and above – there are 585 in Devon and Cornwall – through advice, online security and the assessment of reported incidents through a new central threat centre.
The police and crime commissioners and elected mayors also come under its remit.
It follows on from Operation Bridger which was established to protect MPs following the murder of Jo Cox MP in 2016 and Sir David Amess in 2021. It has been brought into sharp focus recently following the death of former Conservative MP and Reform UK spokeswomen Anne Widdecombe in Devon.
But police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez described Op Ford as not much more than a “bureaucratic inbox” at the meeting where crime was reported up the chain to the government and monitored.
She said it was a “grey area” over how much the police or a council should do to help elected members.
“I need to lower your expectations about what Op Ford is,” she told panel members.
“There is no special treatment. You get no funding for security for your home like MPs do and no speedy investigation unless this crime is hindering your public life in which you would escalate it to the chief constable or myself.
“There isn’t a lot attached to it other than us being able to monitor it and actually start saying we need to do something different.”
Both Ms Hernandez and chief constable James Vaughan said they were committed to do as much as they could around Operation Ford to protect councillors and make the programme “meaningful”.
CC Vaughan told the panel he had experienced three death threats over five years.
“It is not acceptable that people who put themselves forward for public life should be subject to threats of violence and intimidation,” he said.
“We are determined to follow the National Police Chief’s Council’s guidance and the government’s lead to make sure we provide all of you with as much support, safety and help as we can.”
Cllr Caroline Leaver (Lib Dem, Devon County Council and North Devon Council) said elections were coming up next year and people were worried about standing, particularly women.
She referred to the abuse on social media: “It suggests to me if you value your mental health don’t go on it because you are going to get attacked – it is vile and don’t take on any senior roles, particularly as a women.
“It’s a serious issue, the intimidation. It is significantly scary out there for people.”
Cllr Mandy Ewings (Ind, West Devon Borough Council) said the abuse suffered by councillors was like “a hidden dirty secret”.
“Let’s be honest, it would put people off. You have to have a thick skin but why should we develop that just for being a councillor.
“The fundamental reason why we stand is to be someone who speaks up for their community.”
The commissioner praised members for being open and said MPs should be more open too: “They hardly ever talk about their experiences of abuse, it would be better if they did.,” she said.
“The more in the open this is, the less likely it is to happen. The secrecy of it allows the insidious and invidious people to be really nasty to some of our people in public life and they need to be dealt with.”
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