The challenges and complexities of policing protests have been highlighted during an event hosted by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

Around 35 councillor advocates attended the seminar held at Police Headquarters on March 4 and discussed the distinction between lawful and criminal protests, and definitions of hate crime.

Advocates are volunteers from unitary, district and parish councils who have signed up to improve communication between local councillors, the police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC). They heard how the role of the police is to balance the right to protest peacefully with minimising the impact on others.

Last year, the Devon & Cornwall Police Force’s Operations Planning department risk assessed 1,498 ‘notifiable’ events including protests and events such as football matches and festivals.

After being assessed, 32 resulted in Public Order Public Safety Policing (POPS) command structures being put in place. Of those, 16 were protests. The vast majority of protests in Devon and Cornwall are peaceful with no arrests.

To prevent serious disruption, police can use specific powers under Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act. These set out legal conditions on organisers and participants around the routes, the length of time of any protest can take place, and the areas where respective groups must convene.

Key speakers on the day included the force public order commander superintendent Graham Thomas and Josh Stunell, CEO of bthechange CIC who were commissioned by Plymouth City Council to research the cause of the riots which took place in the city in the summer of 2024.

Alongside understanding the cause, the other objectives were to help Plymouth heal and foster a shared sense of community cohesion where everyone feels safe, valued and welcomed.

In the 12 months to November 2025, 2,437 hate crimes were recorded by Devon & Cornwall Police, an increase of 5.3 percent compared to the previous year. The majority of crimes were motivated by racial prejudice, followed by sexual orientation and disability.

Police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez and chief constable James Vaughan both spoke at the seminar, and recognised the need distinguish between legitimate political expression and criminal activity.

Alison Hernandez said: “People from our minority communities are sometimes living in fear of being attacked or shouted at in the street. I think we’ve all got a job to do to help make our communities feel as safe as possible. I would like to thank all the councillors who attended the event.

“We talked about how, as elected representatives, we must be the brokers, the mediators, and the supporters during these turbulent times, when people are not feeling as safe as they should be. Making communities safe for all residents remains one of the key priorities in my Police and Crime Plan.”

The force’s Diverse Communities Team continues to provide specialist advice and support to victims of hate offences and has a Zero Tolerance to Hate Crime Campaign educating people about the effects and harm of hate crime.