£1 million boost extends hotspot patrols across Devon and Cornwall

A Home Office grant of £1 million will fund another year of hotspot policing in towns and cities across Devon and Cornwall, Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has announced. The scheme, launched in May 2024, delivered 26,821 additional hours of targeted foot and street marshal patrols in areas suffering the highest levels of antisocial behaviour (ASB) and serious violence.

With the fresh funding, hotspot policing will now cover 14 locations, including two new additions: Bodmin and Tiverton. Other existing hotspots are:

• Barnstaple

• Bideford

• Camborne

• Exeter

• Exmouth

• Newquay

• Newton Abbot

• Paignton

• Penzance

• Plymouth

• St Austell

• Torquay

• Truro

Since May 2024, the initiative has:

• Undertaken 26,821 patrol hours

• Generated 2,211 intelligence reports

• Issued 190 safeguarding referrals

• Attended 1,467 ASB incidents

• Made 256 arrests

• Conducted 274 stop-and-searches

• Seized 52 offensive weapons

• Confiscated 248 items (drugs, stolen goods)

• Enforced 177 Public Spaces Protection Orders

• Used 8,022 other ASB powers under the Crime & Policing Act 2014

Chief Inspector Dom Nicholls, who leads the project, said: “Focusing visible patrols where violence and ASB are highest has both prevented crime and made people feel safer. This additional funding allows us to build on that success.”

Hotspot policing combines police officers, Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) trained street marshals, local authorities, and business improvement districts in a co ordinated effort. Since last year, teams have engaged with 93,000 members of the public and visited 40,000 premises, boosting reassurance among residents and businesses.

Commissioner Alison Hernandez spoke of the power of collaboration: “Communities told us they wanted more visible, proactive policing against ASB. Hotspot patrols - backed by street marshals and partner agencies - deliver exactly that. I’m delighted we can extend the scheme and add Bodmin and Tiverton to the list.”

In its second year, the initiative will also aim to halve knife crime in hotspot areas, reinforcing its focus on serious violence prevention.

Hotspot policing is part of the wider Street Focus programme to create safer town and city centres. Full details at www.street-focus.co.uk