Jim Parker: Will Torbay be ruled by a Mayor - and will Alison Hernandez put her hat in the ring?

I was driving along Torquay harbourside the other night. For a change, it was quite a pleasant evening with, dare I say, no rain even though I was behind the wheel.
But then suddenly a gang of youths, some on bikes and others on foot, shattered the peace with loud shouts, ‘wheelies’ and behaviour which must have been intimidating and quite scary for anybody walking and getting in their way.
And so, the battle against anti-social behaviour goes on, especially in our town centres.
It has been one of the top priorities to tackle for Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.
As a former Torbay councillor and resident in Torquay, she knows only too well how important it is for the streets of the Bay to be safe and not perceived to be no-go areas, in particular with holidaymakers who for the first time are raising their concerns and may think twice about returning.
To be fair, for instance, Commissioner funding has led to successes with ‘closure orders’ served on various properties and premises linked to ASB.
Since October 2024, Ms Hernandez has also paid for two specialist legal roles, including Devon and Cornwall Police’s first dedicated ASB legal advisor, to help the police use all legal powers available to quickly deal with incidents of ASB, drug-related activity and disorder.
Full and partial closure orders, granted by local magistrates’ courts, are a powerful and effective tool because they enable a wide range of premises — including homes, businesses and abandoned properties to be temporarily shut down for three months.
Since the legal advisors were appointed, 54 full and partial closure orders and extensions have been issued across Exeter, Torquay and South Devon. It is a significant increase compared with previous years with only 12 issued in these areas between 2020 and 2024.
The first closure order for a hotel took place in Torquay which had stopped taking paying guests several months ago and the building had fallen into a state of disrepair.
The Sherwood Hotel in Belgrave Road had become an “eyesore” and a “magnet” for people intent on causing ASB, as well as an alleged sexual assault. No incidents have been reported to police since.
Other successes in the town include the closure of a house where police found £30,000 of heroin stored there. A three-month closure order was issued in March after reports of drug dealing and ASB.
A business in Paignton was closed to protect people from potential exploitation or coercive practice. The three-month order was granted after police became aware the premises were not being used for legitimate purposes.
Neighbours were affected by the behaviour of those working there, as well as their visitors. Similar closure orders have been served across South Devon including Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton.
ASB legal advisor Machaela O’Brien said: “Prior to the commencement of this ASB role, I did not appreciate quite how impactful ASB can be on the community. Closure orders are a really effective tool because they give residents experiencing ASB respite as well as visibly demonstrating that we will and do take action where possible.
“We have noticed a considerable decrease in reports of ASB at or near premises where a closure order, whether partial or full, has been made. Where breaches have occurred, because of the closure order, officers have better tools to deal with those individuals, and more quickly.
“I cannot emphasise enough how important it is for those being affected to report it. Please do not assume the police are already aware of any ongoing ASB. While closure orders are not always the appropriate course of action, if we don’t know, we can’t help.”
CCTV networks have been expanded and alongside closure orders, community protection orders, community protection notices and civil injunctions can be issued with around 65 imposed since October 2024.
Chief Superintendent Roy Linden, Police Commander for South Devon, said: “The impact of ASB affects people’s wellbeing and their quality of life as well as community cohesion. Responding to it is one of the core priorities for our neighbourhood teams.”
Among those who have expressed thanks to their local neighbourhood policing team for restoring peace back into their community is a Torquay resident who said: “Our road of lovely people are all feeling so happy and relaxed after what has been an unpleasant time. So, thank you all for securing our peace.”
This is local grass-roots policing working, but what of that ‘local’ touch in the future?
The Government has announced that Police and Crime Commissioners like Alison Hernandez will not be replaced when their current terms of office end in May 2028.
The Government is also expected to announce further policing reforms before the end of January and it’s been reported that this could include police force mergers grouping together several forces.
Residents across Devon and Cornwall have expressed clear support for Devon and Cornwall Police continuing as a single force.
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s 2026 Your Safety, Your Say survey received 1,533 responses between December 11, 2025, and January 12, 2026.
When asked about the possibility of police force mergers, 66 per cent of survey respondents said they would like Devon and Cornwall Police to continue in its current form.
Nearly 18 per cent of people expressed a preference for a South West regional force merging five forces, nearly 13 per cent were in favour of a single force for England and 1.5 per cent supported the creation of a separate Cornwall-only police force.
Comments from respondents showed a range of views, but many emphasised the importance of service quality.
Once again, ASB was identified as the top issue residents want the police to tackle, followed by drugs, people carrying weapons, dangerous driving and shoplifting.
These were the same top five concerns as in last year’s survey, with antisocial behaviour also most frequently selected as the area needing further investment under the Police and Crime Plan.
Commissioner Hernandez has said: “ASB is a scourge on our society that massively impacts hard-working, law-abiding people trying to go about their lives.
“Any behaviour that causes alarm, distress or has a detrimental impact on community safety will not be tolerated. That has been proven by how many closure orders have been issued in the past 14 months.
“Those causing ASB often have complex needs so an important part of closure orders is that while holding offenders accountable for their actions, police work with partners, such as housing providers, to ensure vulnerable people receive the help they need.
“I would urge people to keep reporting incidents to police as they do listen and will take action.”
As above, the crime commissioners will disappear in two years’ time, with their roles possibly being taken under the wing of newly-elected regional mayors.
For a government supposedly all about local this and local that, it doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence, does it — and how will a regional mayor stop a gang of youths causing mayhem on Torquay harbourside?
There may, of course, be one way of keeping the Bay’s problems in full view of even the mightiest of mayors — Alison Hernandez could stand for the post.
You read it here first…