G7 Summit a ‘massive but welcome’ challenge for Devon and Cornwall Police

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting the three-day summit in the seaside resort of Carbis Bay, alongside the other G7 leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Invited leaders from Australia, India and South Korea will also be attending.

Neighbouring St Ives and other sites in Cornwall, such as Falmouth, will be hosting international delegates and media – with organisers determined to make this “an event for all residents in Cornwall to experience and share”.

Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer QPM said: “I am delighted that Cornwall will be hosting this landmark event for the UK in an area that is not only one of the safest in the country, but also combines breath-taking scenery and innovative businesses with exceptional local hospitality.

“The event will be a real boost for our communities and especially our young people. It provides an opportunity for all my colleagues within Devon and Cornwall Police to demonstrate our operational excellence and world class policing skills on a global stage.

“We are excited to be playing our part working with and supporting our partners to deliver a safe and secure G7 summit. We have been preparing for this event for several months, including speaking with colleagues who have managed similar events, so we can ensure that we continue to effectively serve our local communities in the run up to, during and after the event.”

Andy Berry, chair of Devon and Cornwall Police Federation, said work was already well underway on the logistical challenge of accommodating and transporting the significant number of ‘mutual aid’ police officers from across the country who will be required to support Devon and Cornwall “to properly police the summit”, which is being held from June 11-13.

“Having the G7 in Cornwall is good news for the communities of Devon and Cornwall in respect of we will have the world spotlight on us and hopeful economic opportunities for the business community,” said Mr Berry.

“But it is also a great opportunity to both showcase the work of Devon and Cornwall Police and the way Devon and Cornwall Federation support its officers.

“It’s going to be a massive challenge. Logistically getting sufficient officers into locations and moving them from A to B during the course of the event will be really challenging. Also making sure they are all fed, watered and accommodated properly will be a challenge but that’s what we are there as a Federation to do… to work with the force, to support them to get it right.

“And I have no doubt every effort will be put in to make it so.”

Although the exact number of officers that will be required for the summit is still to be finalised, Mr Berry anticipates it will be “a similar mutual aid policing operation” to when previous meetings – then known as G8 – were held in the UK at Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, in 2013, and Gleneagles in 2005.

This means a high number of specialist and public order trained officers from across the country will likely travel to and stay in Cornwall for the duration of the event, he said.

Mr Berry added: “We fully expect there to be significant assistance from other forces across the country, sending their officers to work with ours in Cornwall, and across Devon for that matter – and we look forward to welcoming them and looking after them from a Federation perspective, making sure that everybody gets what they need and that they have somewhere to go if problems should arise.

“We have been working with the force, supporting them in relation to the planning of the event. Making sure that the accommodation they are looking for is going to work and that everybody is going to be happy with it and we will continue to do that to make sure the everyday needs of officers are met.

“We want to make the event an excellent event for the world leaders that are there but also a memorable event for officers from our force and the other forces who will be visiting.”

Mr Berry said the welfare of colleagues was particularly important for the Federation, with officers potentially having to stand on cordons for a number of hours in – potentially – searing heat, wearing heavy public order protective kit.

“We will be looking to ensure we learn any lessons from previous large-scale events around the country which other Federations have been involved in,” he added.

“There may be opportunities to speak to other Federations about borrowing their welfare vans [which provide hot/cold drinks, snacks and toilet facilities] or maybe it is the time for our force to invest in something similar to give officers the opportunities to have proper breaks, drinks and rest.”

Although hosting the summit “poses a challenge” for police and partners in local authorities and the business community, it also presents a number of significant opportunities for the region, says Alison Hernandez, police and crime commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

And Ms Hernandez said she had “every confidence” that Devon and Cornwall Police and partners will deliver a safe and successful event

“The summit represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to raise awareness of Cornwall on a global scale, and will help the local economy build back better after Covid-19 lockdowns,” she said.

“It’s very exciting that major decisions with far-reaching and international implications will be being made right here on our doorstep. Cornwall’s incredible natural wealth and its long tradition of welcoming outsiders will make this a summit to be long remembered.

“But I also hope that world leaders are able to understand that there are communities in Cornwall that face significant challenges and reflect on those challenges and the challenges of people in a similar position across the world.

“Our force area now has a crime rate lower than all but one of 43 forces in England and Wales, but there is significant work to do to improve household income, job security and opportunities for local people here and elsewhere.”

Ms Hernandez has supported plans to add flexibility to the workforce in response to Covid-19 policing, by approving an enhanced allowance payment for Special Constables who carried out an agreed number of shifts over the busy winter period, and said that innovation and flexibility would be key to ensuring the summit was a success.

“This summer the bonds we have created with communities, local authorities, volunteers and policing teams will be needed more than ever before,” she said.

“I have every confidence that with the support measures put in place, Devon and Cornwall Police and our partners will deliver a safe and successful event that our communities will be proud of and create memories that will last a lifetime.”

Peter Andrew MBE, chair of Corserv Group, said it will be supporting the logistical arrangements of hosting the G7 Summit.

“Cormac Highways and Environment and Cornwall Airport Newquay continue to work closely with the organising authorities to ensure that the event runs smoothly in June,” he said. “The Cornwall Development Company will be working hard with partners over this period to secure a lasting legacy in terms of inward investment.

“Over the coming months many of our staff will become involved in the logistical arrangements and we are committed to ensure that the event is a great success for Cornwall and see it shine on the world stage.”

Julian German, leader of Cornwall Council, said the G7 Summit was “a fantastic opportunity to showcase the best of Cornwall and the UK on the world stage, and to build our strength and prosperity at home”.

He added: “For those reasons we are determined that this event delivers a lasting legacy for our residents, inspires our young people and shows how we can play our part in bringing the world together after the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic – and bringing together all parts of the UK together, leaving no-one and nowhere behind.

“We want a lasting legacy that maximises inward investment, translating our moment on the global stage into trade. A legacy that helps Cornwall bounce forward and make its full contribution to the country’s ambitions in areas like space and satellite, floating offshore wind and other sources of clean energy, and globally significant geo-resources including lithium to power our future.”

Visit Cornwall estimates a total economic impact of the summit for the county of £50 million, including both the immediate benefits of the summit and related events, and projected tourism growth over the next five years.

Malcolm Bell, chief executive of Visit Cornwall said: “Cornwall has been voted the best holiday region in the UK for ten out of the last 11 years in the British Travel Award but is little known to many countries around the world.

“The G7 Leaders’ summit will shine a spotlight on our very special place and the worldwide exposure is promotion we could never buy.

“It will showcase the beauty of Cornwall and provide an opportunity to highlight our heritage, culture and the connections to each country, which will help drive increased numbers of international visitors to Cornwall over the next decade.”

Mark Duddridge, chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Cornwall’s economy is quickly evolving into one of huge significance to the challenges of the time most notably in the delivery of clean energy from our unique geology and location.

“Underpinned by our digital connectivity and creative expertise our traditional industries are developing their offer to deliver more to their customers whilst supporting the recovery of our climate and ecology.

“We welcome the opportunity to showcasing the new Cornwall to visitors from around the world and sharing our excitement for the changes that are now happening around us.”