Devon and Cornwall Police have appointed a returning Assistant Chief Constable who grew up in the county to a role which will see him lead the force's specialist uniform operations.

Having held the NPCC portfolio for Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime since last year, ACC Jim Pearce will now lead specialist uniform operations including public order, roads policing, firearms, operations planning and resourcing as part of the operations portfolio.

ACC Pearce has an extensive background within operational and incident command, and is an accredited Public Order Public Safety Gold Commander. 

He is also a Strategic Firearms Commander responsible for directing armed operations across the force.

Previously, he worked as the Policing Commander for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for over six years where he was responsible for the uniformed and neighbourhood policing deployment and capability across the county.

ACC Pearce was the Chair of the Community Safety Partnership for over three years, and a collaborative lead in delivering the first ever Tri-Service Safety Officer scheme which has become an example for forces nationwide. 

ACC Jim Pearce said: “This is a privileged position that I have been invited to take, and I’m looking forward to returning into the Force to further the ambitions of this professional portfolio of work in keeping our communities safe.”