Last month, colleagues from my office travelled to the Isles of Scilly to spend time with the local policing team and hear about public safety on the islands. I couldn’t join them on this occasion, but I was keen to continue our regular conversations with islanders and hear directly about the issues that matter most.
The Isles of Scilly is one of the most unique and beautiful parts of our policing area. With around 2,000 residents across five inhabited islands, it is a place that feels both safe and welcoming. But as our team found, policing in this environment brings its own distinct challenges – from geography to resources – and it relies on strong community ties and excellent partnership working.
The team began their visit with Sergeant Al Jordan, who leads the neighbourhood officers on Scilly. Sgt Jordan has nearly 30 years of service and described Scilly as both the most unusual and the most rewarding posting of his career, especially as he lives in a police property so cannot escape work even when he is off duty.
His small team of two constables and a PCSO balance neighbourhood policing with emergency response, often switching between roles at very short notice.
As Sgt Jordan explained, the work is hugely varied. Officers might be welcoming children at school one morning, then responding to an urgent call on a different island the next. With just a handful of officers covering a large area, they rely heavily on community support and the assistance of local partners, whether that is the ambulance boat taking them to another island at 3am or the harbourmaster helping them manage arrivals from the ferry.
Residents told our team that they value not only the presence of local officers, but also the relationships they have built with them. Ali, who works in a shop on St Mary’s, said she feels entirely safe on the islands and praised the sense of freedom that children enjoy. “Everybody looks out for each other,” she explained, adding that the police are approachable and visible, both on and off duty.
Anna, who also owns a business on St Mary’s and is a parent of three young children, echoed those views. She described Scilly as “super safe” and recalled how quickly the police dealt with an incident in her shop, arriving within minutes. She emphasised that the officers are not just professionals, but part of the community. “They stop to talk, answer questions, and even put the sirens on for the children,” she said. “We’re really lucky.”
Hearing directly from residents in this way is invaluable. It shows how important visibility, trust and everyday engagement are in maintaining a sense of safety. While Scilly experiences far less crime than the mainland, the confidence people feel in their police team is the real measure of success.
Another message from the visit was just how essential partnership working is on the islands. With limited resources, agencies must be ready to work together seamlessly. Sgt Jordan described recent exercises involving the Coastguard, RNLI, fire service and ambulance crews, including a missing person drill where he played the role of the casualty. Within three hours, the joint team had located him – a testament to how well these relationships function.
While on the islands, my office also met with Safer Scilly, the multi-agency partnership working to improve safety for residents. Representatives from Devon & Cornwall Police, the NHS, fire and rescue, Victim Support and housing services told the team about challenges and opportunities faced by the partnership.
They heard about plans for the partnership to explore the use of antisocial behaviour (ASB) escalation tools and ways to improve public safety communication on the islands.
The partnership also discussed barriers to reporting crime in a small, close-knit community. While I would always encourage anyone affected by crime to contact the police on 101 (or 999 if it’s an emergency) – or pop into your nearest police enquiry office – I know there are often reasons why people don’t feel this is an option for them, so I would like to take this opportunity to remind residents that you can also report crime completely anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org
And if you’re affected by crime and need help to cope and recover, I fund a wide range of victim services which can be accessed via Devon & Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit (VCU) or through independent charity Victim Support. Visit victimcare-dc.org, or call the VCU on 01392 475900 (8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm weekends and bank holidays) or Victim Support’s 24-hour support line on 0808 168 91111.
Although I couldn’t visit the islands this time, I am grateful to everyone who gave up their time to speak with my team and share their experiences. My role as your Police and Crime Commissioner is to make sure that the distinct needs of the Isles of Scilly are understood and supported across the wider force area. That means listening closely, recognising the unique challenges, and celebrating the strengths that make Scilly such a special place.
Sgt Jordan summed it up when he told us that, after a long career, policing on the islands has been the most rewarding role of all. That sense of pride and connection reflects everything my office heard during this visit – and it is something we can all learn from.