PEOPLE across Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly are being urged to have their say on how local policing should be led and held to account in the years ahead, as Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez launches her annual budget consultation.

The Your Safety, Your Say survey comes at a crucial moment for forces in the South West. A government white paper due in early 2026 is expected to propose some of the biggest changes to policing in decades, including possible mergers of local forces.

Reports suggest ministers may even consider creating a single national police force for England — a move that would end more than a century of locally run policing in Cornwall.

The consultation follows last month’s announcement that Police and Crime Commissioners are to be abolished in May 2028, when current terms come to an end.

While the survey is part of the commissioner’s legal duty to seek public views on the policing budget, it also gives Cornish residents a rare opportunity to influence the future of policing in the Duchy.

Staff from the commissioner’s team are officially launching the consultation in Bodmin today (December 15), speaking to young people and families about their experiences of crime, safety and local police visibility.

Ms Hernandez said: “With such far-reaching national reforms on the horizon, it’s vital that people in Cornwall have a strong voice in shaping what comes next. Your Safety, Your Say allows residents to influence how resources are used while also sharing views on leadership, accountability and local priorities.”

She said she wants to hear whether Cornish communities would prefer police oversight to pass to an elected regional mayor, a board of council leaders, or whether they would favour keeping the PCC role until 2028. She is also seeking views on whether a national or South West regional force would be acceptable, or if people want policing to remain rooted locally with Devon & Cornwall Police.

The survey asks for views on issues including antisocial behaviour, community safety, victim services and policing priorities. Feedback will help guide the 2026–27 policing budget and shape discussions about how policing across Cornwall will be governed in future.