Alison Hernandez

{{Short description|British politician}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = |name = Alison Hernandez |honorific_suffix = |image = |image_size = |small_image = |caption = |order = |office = [[Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner]] |term_start = 12 May 2016 |term_end = |predecessor = [[Tony Hogg]] |successor = |office2 = |term_start2 = |term_end2 = |predecessor2 = |successor2 = |party = Independent (4 Jan 2026 - present)<br> [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (May 2016 - 4 Jan 2026) |birth_name = |birth_date = |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |resting_place = |spouse = |children = |relations = |education = }}

'''Alison Selina Hernandez'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Police and Crime Commissioner election May 6, 2021 |url=https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/the-council-and-democracy/elections/police-and-crime-commissioner-election-may-6-2021/ |website=[[Cornwall Council]] |access-date=5 August 2022}}</ref> is an Independent British politician, and the current [[Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner|Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall]]. She was [[2016 England and Wales police and crime commissioner elections|elected]] representing the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] to the post on 5 May 2016, succeeding [[Tony Hogg]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/PCC-Elections-2016-Alison-Hernandez-wins-Devon/story-29240218-detail/story.html |title=Alison Hernandez wins Devon and Cornwall poll despite strong Labour challenge |newspaper=Exeter Express and Echo |date=6 May 2016 |access-date=10 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507115616/http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/PCC-Elections-2016-Alison-Hernandez-wins-Devon/story-29240218-detail/story.html |archive-date=7 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was re-elected, again as a Conservative, in 2021 and 2024. In 2026 she left the Conservative Party.<ref name="Quits2026">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr4krexyl1po|title=Police and crime commissioner quits Conservatives|last=Davis|first=Miles|date=5 January 2026|work=BBC News|access-date=5 January 2026}}</ref>

==Election expenses==

Within days of her election, it was reported that Hernandez was being investigated by police over allegations she failed to properly declare election expenses that were submitted in her role as an [[election agent]] for [[Kevin Foster (politician)|Kevin Foster]], Conservative candidate in the [[Torbay (UK Parliament constituency)|Torbay constituency]] during the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]]. Hernandez was under investigation by the [[Independent Police Complaints Commission]] which is managing the probe by [[West Mercia Police]] in connection with the [[United Kingdom general election, 2015 party spending investigation]].<ref name="probe">{{cite news|last1=Greenwood|first1=WMNA|title=Crime commissioner expenses probe 'to conclude by November'|url=http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/crime-commissioner-expenses-probe-to-conclude-by-november/story-29657648-detail/story.html#qZjv4P1JqriiirFL.99|access-date=25 October 2016|work=Plymouth Herald|date=26 August 2016}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> She faced calls from opposition politicians, including [[Plymouth City Council]] leader [[Tudor Evans]], to step aside from the role of Police and Crime Commissioner while the investigation was ongoing.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-36246634 |title=PCC Alison Hernandez 'should stand aside' over expenses probe |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=9 May 2016 |access-date=10 June 2016}}</ref><ref name=BBC-2016-05-10>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-36257619 |title=Expenses probe PCC Alison Hernandez branded 'arrogant' |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=10 May 2016 |access-date=10 June 2016}}</ref> Hernandez addressed these concerns during her swearing in ceremony on 10 May: "I've had over 91,000 people elect me to office. I'm here for the people of Devon and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. I'm here to do a job – the police need support."<ref name=BBC-2016-05-10/>

The Independent Police Complaints Commission referred the matter to the [[Crown Prosecution Service]] in April 2017. They ruled on 10 May 2017 that there were no grounds for a criminal charge and the case was dropped.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Howells|first=Sarah|date=2017-05-10|title=Investigation into PCC Alison Hernandez's election spending is dropped by CPS|url=https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/investigation-into-pcc-alison-hernandez-s-election-spending-is-dropped-6011880|access-date=2021-04-07|website=North Devon Gazette|language=en-UK}}</ref>

==Other controversies== Hernandez courted controversy in June 2017 when she suggested gun owners could engage with terrorists.<ref name=autogenerated1>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/12/gunowners-could-help-fight-terror-attack-says-police-commissioner Gun owners could help fight terror attack, says police commissioner | UK news | The Guardian]</ref> This idea was swiftly dismissed by Deputy Chief Constable Paul Netherton due to the complexities of responding to such an incident and the confusion that may occur in identifying the attackers.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

In February 2019 she revealed that she had been caught speeding, and had received a parking ticket.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-47258669|title=Devon and Cornwall PCC Alison Hernandez caught speeding|date=15 February 2019|publisher=BBC News|access-date=15 February 2019}}</ref>

==Electoral record== {{Election box supplementary vote begin |title = Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner election, 2016 |source = }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Alison Hernandez |fullwidthvotes = 91036 |r1votes = 69354 |r1votespercent = 24.4 |r2votes = 21682 |totalpercent = 51.1% }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Gareth Derrick |fullwidthvotes = 91036 |r1votes = 66519 |r1votespercent = 23.4 |r2votes = 20723 |totalpercent = 48.9% }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = Jonathan Smith |fullwidthvotes = 91036 |r1votes = 49659 |r1votespercent = 17.5 }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = Bob Spencer |fullwidthvotes = 91036 |r1votes = 41382 |r1votespercent = 14.6 }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = [[Richard Younger-Ross]] |fullwidthvotes = 91036 |r1votes = 35154 |r1votespercent = 12.4 }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = William Morris |fullwidthvotes = 91036 |r1votes = 22395 |r1votespercent = 7.9 }} {{Election box supplementary vote turnout |votes = 284,463 |percentage = 22.1% }} {{Election box supplementary vote rejected |votes = 9,657 |percentage = 3.3% }} {{Election box supplementary vote total |votes = 294,120 |percentage = }} {{Election box supplementary vote registered electors |reg. electors = }} {{Election box supplementary vote hold |winner = Conservative Party (UK) }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box supplementary vote begin | title = Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner election, 2021}} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link | party = Conservative Party (UK) | candidate = Alison Hernandez* | fullwidthvotes = 275217 | r1votes = 247173 | r1votespercent = 49.97 | r2votes = 28044 | totalpercent = 65.19% }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link | party = Labour Party (UK) | candidate = Gareth Derrick | fullwidthvotes = 275217 | r1votes = 99894 | r1votespercent = 20.20 | r2votes = 47085 | totalpercent = 34.81% }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link | party = Liberal Democrats (UK) | candidate = Brian Blake | fullwidthvotes = 275217 | r1votes = 88318 | r1votespercent = 17.86 }} {{Election box supplementary vote candidate with party link | party = Green Party of England and Wales | candidate = Stuart Paul Jackson | fullwidthvotes = 275217 | r1votes = 59242 | r1votespercent = 11.98 }} {{Election box supplementary vote turnout | votes = 494,627 | percentage = }} {{Election box supplementary vote hold | winner = Conservative Party (UK) | loser = }} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title = Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner election, 2024 <ref>{{Cite web| title=Devon and Cornwall PCC Alison Hernandez re-elected | date=3 May 2024| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjewqnd4855o |work= BBC News|access-date=11 February 2026 }}</ref> |source = }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link | party = Conservative Party (UK) | candidate = Alison Hernandez* | votes = 131,764 | percentage = 43.3 | change = -6.7 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party=Labour and Co-operative Party |candidate=Daniel Steel |votes=107,897 |percentage=35.4 |change=+15.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party=Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate=Steve Lodge |votes=64,790 |percentage=21.3 |change=+3.4 }} {{Election box turnout |votes=304,451 |percentage=22.5 |change=-13.6 }} {{Election box hold with party link |winner = Conservative Party (UK) |swing = -21.9 }} {{Election box end}}

==References== {{Portal|Cornwall}} {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez, Alison}} [[Category:1973 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Police and crime commissioners in England]] [[Category:Conservative Party police and crime commissioners]] [[Category:21st-century British women politicians]] [[Category:Independent police and crime commissioners]]