Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has launched the second phase of her Street Focus project in Camborne, bringing partners together to intensify “outstanding” efforts that reduce crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB), support local businesses and invest in opportunities for young people. 

At a packed launch session in Camborne, the Commissioner heard from Safer Camborne, Devon & Cornwall Police, Safer Cornwall, Camborne BID, Cornwall Council and the Mayor of Camborne about recent results and what further support would add the most value. 

Street Focus Camborne is the latest iteration of the project, which aims to improve safety in town and city centres, and was first launched in Torquay in June 2024.  

At the launch event, attendees heard from the Commissioner’s office about the successes of the Torquay project which include the funding of a Saturday night bus service, extra police and partner patrols targeting ASB and violence as part of the hotspot policing initiative, a Crimestoppers zone, dedicated ASB lawyers for the town, the funding of business crime reduction partnership UKPAC, and much more. 

The event was also an opportunity for local leaders to share some of the great work already underway in Camborne to improve safety.  

A dedicated ASB officer, Kay Smith, is providing highly visible presence in the town, using a full ASB toolkit including Community Protection Warnings and Notices. Being an accessible point of contact for ASB concerns, and hosting face-to-face drop-in sessions, Kay is widely welcomed by residents and businesses in the town. 

Additional police and street marshal patrols are being carried out in Camborne for a second year, with the town nominated as a tier one area for the hotspot policing project, funded by £1m secured from the Home Office by the Commissioner’s office. 

Since July, 142 patrols have been delivered, equating to 103 hours on the street. Officers and marshals have engaged with 1,888 members of the public, visited 286 premises, and attended 97 incidents of ASB. 

The patrols, which target ASB and violence in town and city centres, have resulted in fewer incidents compared with the previous year. 

Devon & Cornwall Police have also obtained several premises closure orders, criminal behaviour orders and warrants to combat ASB and other issues in Camborne over the past 12 months. 

Multi-agency partnership Safer Camborne has been delivering problem solving across Camborne and Redruth, including drug exploitation meetings which have delivered safeguarding outcomes, warrants and arrests. Activity has also been undertaken to secure a derelict building in the town which was causing significant safety concerns. 

Improvements under the Home Office-funded Safer Streets initiative have been delivered including lighting and CCTV upgrades, bystander training for the night-time economy, youth outreach and a substance misuse worker. 

Camborne’s Business Improvement District (BID) team has delivered a successful Pubwatch scheme, provides a link for 310 businesses in the town, and has produced a Manifesto for a Crime-Free Camborne. For 2026, the BID aims to gain Purple Flag accreditation, which highlights expectational work in ensuring the safety of the evening and night-time economy. 

The BID also procured the DISC business crime reporting app in 2024, which is widely used in the town and helps to identify and bring to justice multiple prolific offenders. 

A survey undertaken by Cornwall Youth Council highlighted Camborne and Redruth as the only areas they had concerns about crime and safety in Cornwall. However, work is underway to make improvements for young people. 

Head of campus for Cornwall College Camborne Rory Mason spoke of challenges facing the school and its students, including rising exclusions and more students with complex needs. He said he was proud of the work done by the school through engagement, clear behaviour policies and working closely with the police and local partners. 

Camborne Town Mayor James Ball, who runs a youth club in the town, said that working with young people had shown first-hand how much difference support and encouragement can make. He said that some who came to the club struggling are attending school more regularly and staying out of trouble. 

Cornwall Council has also had a strong focus on antisocial behaviour and youth work over the past two years, with drop-in sessions for young people and a youth hub partnership working with Healthy Cornwall. 

Recognising the great results already achieved by multiple organisations working together to improve safety in the town, Commissioner Hernandez said she was delighted to be able to offer the support of her office in building on these successes. 

She said: “Camborne’s partnership is outstanding – the teamwork focus and results already achieved are clear to see. Strong relationships have been built, antisocial behaviour has been reduced, and real visibility and confidence in the community is evident.  

“I’m delighted to lend my support through the Street Focus project so we can build on that success together, sustain what works, and help us go even further.” 

Commissioner Hernandez said she was keen to help bolster support for young people, and her office would be working to put together a plan to build momentum and help to build a safer Camborne for everyone. 

Mayor Ball added: “All the organisations working together across the town, communicating and putting the community first, shows just how much can be achieved in making the whole town safer for all. 

“I am looking forward to seeing how much further we can go with the launch of Street Focus and our continued work with the Police and Crime Commissioner.” 

Sector Inspector for Camborne Lou Brown echoed Mayor Ball’s comments, saying working together was what made the approach in Camborne so effective. 

She said: “We are really looking forward to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s upcoming focus on the Camborne sector.  

“It takes all of us – the police, local councils, voluntary groups, partner agencies and our community working together to make a real difference.  

“Strengthening those partnerships will help us tackle local priorities and continue building a safer, more connected area to live and work.” 

To find out more about the Street Focus project and for updates about future work in Camborne, visit street-focus.co.uk 

You can also have your say about safety in Camborne by filling out a short survey that will help inform the work of the project.