 Civilian staff protested outside the force's Middlemoor HQ last year |
Senior officers in Devon and Cornwall Police have been criticised in a report looking into a pay review which caused hundreds of staff to walk out. The review was a re-grading exercise meant to ensure fair pay for all, but meant some civilians faced pay cuts of up to �8,000. The force backed down.
The Metropolitan Police's report summary said actions by several people resulted in a "major failure".
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the force had received the report.
 |  The impression we have is of a roller coaster, which could not, or would not, be stopped |
The year-long pay review caused police support staff to walk out last April.
The staff do a range of important jobs, from forensics to running emergency call centres and carrying out administration.
The controversy was such that the force called in the Metropolitan Police to investigate.
Devon and Cornwall Police has refused Freedom of Information Act requests to reveal the report, but BBC News has seen a copy of the summary.
'Lack of understanding'
The Metropolitan Police's remit was limited to looking for serious or criminal misconduct. It found none, but it did make a series of comments.
It said the evaluation failed and that "a series of actions by different individuals, some very minor, which, when taken together, resulted in a major failure".
It went on: "There appeared to be a lack of understanding of the strategic importance and significance of the project by some members of the command team [the force's most senior officers]."
BBC South West home affairs correspondent Simon Hall said: "The report does not single out anyone for blame, or make any recommendations, but concludes: 'This will be a learning lesson for them [the people involved] as well as the force itself'."
Devon and Cornwall Police said that the force had referred the Metropolitan Police report to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) for it to be quality assured.
The force said: "Clearly until such time as the IPCC have had an opportunity to conduct a proper review, we are not in a position to comment further on either the inquiry or the summary report."
It added that it was committed to the publication of the summary report at the earliest opportunity.
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