Councillors share experiences of threats and abuse
Alison StephensonA police and crime commissioner has said more needs to be done to improve security of elected members as councillors describe receiving death threats.
It was revealed at a meeting of Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel last week 27 crimes had been recorded over the past 12 months under Operation Ford, which was set up in 2025 to enhance the security and support offered to councillors.
Members described personal experiences of threats including one councillor who told the meeting he had a car driven at him, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez criticised Operation Ford as not much more than a "bureaucratic inbox".
She said there was "no special treatment" under the scheme which offers support to councillors at a district level and above, as well as elected mayors and police and crime commissioners.
"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 case you would escalate it to the chief constable or myself," she told the panel.
"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."
'It is vile'
Councillor Philip Hackett, from Torridge District Council, told the meeting he had been subjected to death threats and had experienced somebody driving a car at him.
"One person came up to me and said 'I hope you die a horrible death' over a planning application," he said.
Labour councillor Chris Penberthy for Plymouth City Council described a situation in which a female colleague had been assaulted for "just wearing a Labour badge".
He said police had initially been slow in responding through Operation Ford and it had taken five people to report the assault to get it escalated.
Devon County Council councillor Caroline Leaver said elections were coming up next year and women were particularly worried about standing.
She said intimidation of elected officials was a serious issue and for some people it was scary.
Referring to abuse on social media, she said: "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."
Chief Constable James Vaughan said he had experienced three death threats over five years.
Hernandez and Vaughan said they were committed to do as much as they could to make Operation Ford "meaningful".
The BBC has contacted the Home Office for comment.
