Museum of Policing

Mar62026

Police refuse to tolerate misogyny

Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Leaper – the most senior female officer in Devon & Cornwall Police – has spoken out for the first time at a public event about being subjected to misogynistic and hateful comments from members of the public on social media after sharing vital news about the disposal of an unexploded Second World War bomb in Exmouth.

During a guest speaker slot within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner ‘justice’ hour at the West Country Women’s International Women’s Day Plymouth 2026: ‘Rights. Justice. Action’, today, March 6, ACC Leaper recalled how she unexpectedly found herself at the centre of a barrage of hostile comments on social media based on her appearance and position as a senior female officer.

It came after the force published an informative update on its Facebook page in January confirming all cordons had been lifted in the town and the device was being disposed of at sea. It was accompanied by a photograph of ACC Leaper at the scene in her police uniform.

Instead of being praised for her leadership, dedication and the positive outcome achieved, negative comments included ‘lifted the cordon, like her face’, ‘only a face a mother could love’ and ‘I now believe in vampires’.

ACC Leaper, who has served as a police officer for almost 23 years, admitted that she was “not shocked” by the comments because of the number of misogynistic incidents she has encountered during her career, but said she was concerned about the impact it had on her colleagues.

She recalled: “I had been the duty officer for more than 11 days without a day off. I had also been Gold Commander for Storm Goretti and the police lead for two Second World War bombs in Exmouth and Plymouth. I had only had five hours sleep in two days.

“When my picture was taken by a colleague for the social media post it was 6am and we were still waiting for the Exmouth bomb to be detonated.

“I was later contacted by colleagues who were really upset by the ‘ridiculous’ comments which, at that point, I had not seen. I wasn’t shocked which is really telling about the society we live in. I expect it because that’s what you get whether you’re a senior female leader, celebrity, or politician.

“Despite women doing the same jobs as men they are judged differently. It can burn you out and stop women from wanting leadership roles.”

Out of all the negative Facebook comments ACC Leaper received, she says the ones that impacted her the most were ‘only a face a mother could love’ having recently held her mother in arms while she passed away, and those that questioned her operational experience.

She said: “A positive that came out of it all was the supportive communications I received from senior leaders and the Chief Constable’s reactive Facebook post which helped promote female role models.

“I even received flowers from members of the public and a card from a man saying, ‘we’re extremely lucky to have such a dedicated, caring and professional ACC in Devon and Cornwall Police’. Misogynistic comments are not acceptable and we need to hear more positive male voices in this arena.”

The OPCC ‘justice’ hour also included honest and frank speeches from Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez and Chief Constable James Vaughan on justice, VAWG and empowering women. The Chef also pledged that there was no place for misogyny either in or outside the police force.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez speaking at the IWD event

Rebecca Hewitt, Teignbridge District Council strategy and policy manager and chair of South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership, who has been awarded £100,000 from the OPCC to expand an impactful Let’s Talk programme, talked about different projects which are aiming to help tackle violence against women and young girls.

Essential information was also provided about the free support available to victims via Sarah West, manager of Devon & Cornwall Police Victim Care Unit.

The annual International Women’s Day event, held at the Crowne Plaza, was attended by the High Sheriff of Devon, Caroline Harlow; the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Kathy Watkin; representatives from Torbay Council, the University of Plymouth, local charities, organisations and businesses, and women of all ages with an interest in celebrating the achievements of women across the region.

Other inspirational speakers throughout the day included, Sophie Mortimer, manager of the Revenge Porn Helpline, Dr Joanitha Ntangeki, founder of Plymouth’s Sisters Talk Foundation and Sarah Sabater – CEO and founder of CareYourWay.

Globally, International Women’s Day takes place on Sunday, March 8. This year’s theme is Give to Gain which encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration.

Mar22026

Knife Angel swoops into Plymouth to help keep communities safe

opccBlog

The challenge of tackling knife crime here in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is a very different one than faced by police forces in other parts of the country.

Incidents, no matter how isolated or rare, are always shocking and understandably send ripples of fear throughout communities. But, thankfully, our force area is not in the midst of a knife crime crisis.

According to the most recent Devon & Cornwall Police data, in the 12 months to January 2026, there were 3,007 incidents of recorded knife related crime. This is similar to the number of offences recorded in the previous year where 2,995 offences were recorded.

The police estimate that one in 2,000 people in Devon and Cornwall carry a knife. However, my office’s recent survey of young people and adults identified they worried about people carrying weapons on our streets. The more we can do to deter people from carrying a knife and show that we act to prevent their concerns the better from stop and search to education initiatives.

The wider harms of knife crime can never be underestimated, with incidents often linked to domestic abuse, alcohol related incidents, criminal exploitation and mental health or self-harm crises. It is imperative that we help educate people around these risks and provide the support they need before things escalate.

That is why my office, along with a contribution from the Community Safety Partnership’s Serious Violence Duty fund, has helped fund the installation of an imposing 27ft (8m) tall sculpture called Knife Angel in Plymouth. It has been created from more than 100,000 seized or surrendered blades and will be officially unveiled between the Plymouth Civic Centre and Guildhall buildings in the city centre tomorrow, March 3.

It will be illuminated each evening and will remain there throughout March with educational events taking place throughout the month in schools across the city and also bystander intervention training to help people speak up when they witness violence, harassment or discrimination.

The Knife Angel has visited more than 50 locations since its tour of the UK began in 2018 and has become regarded as a national monument to raise awareness of the devastating impact of knife crime and to encourage education, prevention and remembrance.

The decision for it to be located in Plymouth does not mean the city has a knife crime problem. In fact, knife attacks remain relatively rare, but every single one that takes place is one too many.

That’s why I am supportive of any initiative that encourages people to choose not to carry knives, to safely surrender any knives they hold, and to take part in a programme of education and community engagement designed to prevent violence and protect lives. 

Bringing it to Devon has been a collective effort between by office, Devon & Cornwall Police and Plymouth City Council, working alongside a wide range of partners including schools and multi academy trusts, youth services, domestic abuse specialists, mental health and substance misuse providers, community and voluntary groups, faith organisations and Mike’s Trust – a charity set up by the family of murdered knife victim Michael Riddiough-Allen who died in 2023 after he was stabbed outside a nightclub in Bodmin. It is a tangible example that we don’t tolerate carrying a knife in our area and how working in collaboration can achieve longer-term impact which will continue beyond March.

Notable efforts are being Devon & Cornwall Police to tackle knife crime. Last November, the force launched a new knife crime website called #NotTheOne which is part of a national partnership-led campaign that aims to educate 11 to 16-year-olds on the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife.

Importantly, it also helps teachers, parents, friends and family who all play a hugely vital role in positively influencing young people’s lives and stop them being drawn into knife crime.

Recently, the force collaborated with talented students from City College, Plymouth, to create two educational videos about knife crime made by young people for young people to bust the myth that you are safer if you carry a knife. The reality is that it’s the opposite because it actually increases your risk of harm.

To change the alarming real and perceived knife crime culture requires early education and challenging behaviours so that we can hopefully see the number of incidents not only continue to decrease in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly but also other parts of the country.

If you know anyone who is carrying a knife, please take action in one of the following ways:

Report it to the police at dc.police.uk/tua
Knife surrender bins are permanently situated in local police stations across the region. Visit dc.police.uk/peo
Report anonymously to CrimeStoppers UK on 0800 555111
The #NotTheOne website can be found here
The Knife Angel website can be found here

Feb262026

Building confidence to identify and respond to stalking

opccNews

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is proud to launch new training to help frontline professionals identify and respond to evidence of stalking.

The sessions will be delivered online throughout March by national charity the Hollie Gazzard Trust.

Hollie was just 20 years old when she was murdered by her abusive ex-partner while working at a Gloucester hairdressing salon. During their relationship, she was subjected to coercive and controlling behaviour. After she ended the relationship, the abuse escalated into stalking.

Hollie’s family were unaware of the risk she faced. Her ex-partner’s behaviour was not recognised as stalking, and the danger she was in was not fully understood. Her death highlights the devastating consequences of missed opportunities to identify stalking and intervene early.

The training has been commissioned by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly using grant funding from the Ministry of Justice.

It is for anyone working with the public, including:

Specialist domestic abuse practitioners

Family support and early help workers

Victim advocates

Social workers

Housing officers

Youth workers

Police officers and staff

Magistrates/Judiciary

Crown Prosecution Service

There are six four-hour sessions being offered and a video of the training will be available online for a year.

The sessions focus on identifying stalking early and protecting those at greatest risk of serious harm.

Stalking behaviour is described by the Crown Prosecution Service as fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repeated. Stalking is a high-risk form of abuse strongly linked to serious violence, yet stalking is frequently misunderstood, minimised, or misidentified as harassment until the risk has escalated.

This project aims to equip professionals with the knowledge and confidence to:

Identify stalking behaviours early

Understand why ex-partner stalking is high risk

Recognise how stalking differs from harassment

Apply a basic understanding of the law on stalking

Assess risk and implement effective safeguarding

Signpost victims to specialist stalking support

This training draws on lived experience, evidence, and best practice to strengthen professional responses — and ultimately to help prevent serious harm before it occurs.

To find out more, visit the Hollie Gazzard Trust.

Feb232026

The unique challenges policing a vast geography

opccBlog

The challenges and issues that affect residents I represent across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as their Police and Crime Commissioner vary significantly due to our vast geography.

Rural communities are incomparable with large towns and cities which are all recognised by Devon & Cornwall Police within its localised resources and priorities. These have to be adapted even more so in the summer months in areas which see an influx of tourists.

I was recently invited to visit Bideford in North Devon by Police and Crime Panel member Councillor Philip Hackett, also lead member for Public Health and Community Safety at Torridge District Council, to meet with district and town councillors, business representatives from Bideford Town Centre and officers from Torridge District Council.

Also in attendance were local officers from Devon & Cornwall Police, including street marshals and CCTV team members. The aim of the visit was to help me understand policing and crime issues affecting them and provide an update on what may come next for policing with the national reforms planned.

I heard how antisocial behaviour (ASB), shoplifting, alcohol and drugs, and violence are concerns which are all key priorities in my Police and Crime Plan. Discussions were also had around rural crime, including animal rustling and thefts of tractors and football pitch mowers.

Torridge is one of the best performing areas in Devon & Cornwall Police in terms of crime and their management and leadership. The number of overall recorded crimes was 3,216 from February 2025 to January 2026 – a slight rise from 3,076 crimes recorded by the force for the previous 12 months.

In comparison, forcewide overall recorded crime statistics were 124,118 – compared with 122,963 the previous year. Interestingly, in terms of shop lifting which was highlighted as an increasing problem during the meeting – the number of recorded offences by the force in this area is 212 – the same rate was also recorded the previous year.

It may well be that people are not reporting these crimes to the police which is why I would encourage all businesses to sign up to business crime reduction partnership UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) which has joined forces with the National Retail Crime Alliance (NRCA).

It is a quick and easy way for traders to report any crime in just a few minutes via an app or online portal with intelligence shared among the business community. It is successfully enabling police to prevent crime, seek convictions, tackle persistent offenders and reduce ASB and theft.

Currently, only 28 businesses in Torridge and North Devon have signed up to it, despite my office funding the first 12 months for free. I would encourage businesses to visit uk-pac.com to find out more information.

Another area for discussion was a desire for more visible policing in Torridge. Reassuringly, Devon & Cornwall Police is maintaining record police officer numbers of 3,610 with 171 officers returning to the frontline across the force. It has also created an extra 49 PCSO roles, one of which will be based in Bideford with seven PCSOs in total working in Torridge.

Bideford has also benefited from being a designated hotspot policing area this past year and has street marshals who carry out vital patrols and help disrupt ASB and crime. North Devon is also home to Devon’s first Tri-Service Safety Officer (TSSO) Chloe Townsend in Holsworthy. These incredible officers are a unique collaboration in Devon and Cornwall between police, fire and health services. I also have to acknowledge the dedication of the neighbourhood policing team who work exceptionally well together for the greater good of the community.

Parts of North Devon also benefit from a now year-round Saturday night bus service which my office helps fund. It provides a cheap, safe way to get home after a night out or getting to or from work in the early hours.

Between May to December 2025, 16,201 passengers used the night buses across Devon and Cornwall. Of those, 2,753 were from Bideford, and 2,139 were from Ilfracombe. Discussions are underway with Stagecoach into the feasibility of additional routes in North Devon.

My office has also awarded funding of almost £300,000 to nearly 40 towns and villages across Devon and Cornwall who applied for CCTV to reduce crime. In North Devon, schemes were successful in Chulmleigh, Great Torrington and St Giles in the Wood.

I am grateful to everyone who attended the meeting in Bideford to help me better understand the unique issues it has, and I look forward to working with all partners – including Torridge District Council and North Devon and Torridge Community Safety Partnership – to ensure North Devon is a safe place to live, work and visit.

Feb162026

New approach to tackling gambling harms is imperative

opccBlog

The harmful impact of gambling on not just individuals but also their loved ones, colleagues and the wider community was described to me during a compelling conversation with a recovering gambling addict during a recent visit to HMP Channings Wood in Newton Abbot.

It has clearly highlighted that a new approach is required to identify and help those with gambling problems and tackle reoffending. Court backlogs remain a worrying issue, as does the capacity of prisons which are struggling to cope with rapidly rising numbers generally.

Although people must be punished for the crimes they commit, prison is not the only option. I am keen to explore with Devon & Cornwall Police, the Ministry of Justice, the Probation Service and other partner agencies how gambling addicts can be better identified and helped before their journey sees them end up in prison and improvements that can be made to stop prisoners from reoffending by giving them the help they need while serving their sentence.

Former inmate Andy, originally from Falmouth and a father-of-three, candidly spoke to me about how his life and those around him was turned upside when his gambling habit – which began at the age of just nine years old – spiralled further out of control after leaving the Royal Navy.

It led to him being convicted for fraud in 2016 and given a two-year suspended sentence. However, his gambling continued, as did his second addiction – alcohol. With brutal honesty, Andy described his behaviour at that time as having been “that of a monster” which culminated in him assaulting a new partner and taxi driver during a drunken night out.

In prison, he asked for help for the first time to address his gambling, but says he was instead told gambling was a secondary addiction. The only treatment he was offered was for substance misuse. On his release, he inevitably returned to gambling and became suicidal but thankfully received free treatment at a residential rehabilitation centre for gambling for 14 weeks.

While serving at HMP Channings Wood, its approach was different to what Andy had previously experienced at his last prison. He was given permission to set up gambling peer support groups and one-to-ones with fellow prisoners.

The true extent of the problem was revealed when a survey conducted by Andy found that a quarter of inmates admitted to having a gambling problem. Since his release from prison, Andy has admirably turned his life around.

He has completed drug and alcohol counselling and has been working for Beacon Counselling Trust on its Armed Forces Gambling Support Network Programme – delivering awareness and prevention training to serving personnel, veterans, families and the wider armed forces community.

Andy’s mission is now to offer that within prisons, starting as a pilot in the South West. He is being supported by the High Sheriff of Devon, Caroline Harlow. She has used her year in office to highlight the harms of gambling addiction and tackle reoffending. Her relentless mission has been to “bring about awareness and change for those whose gambling addiction has led them to prison in Devon”.

There also seems to be a direct link to violence against women and girls because gamblers lie, cheat, steal and get angry. Coercive control can be one of the many tools in their box.

The High Sheriff also attended the visit at HMP Channings Wood and the outcome of the meeting was to work together as individuals and partnership organisations to tackle harms caused by gambling.

To put the highly stigmatised and often hidden issue in context, an estimated 1.4 million adults in Britain have a gambling problem, according to the Gambling Commission’s annual survey last year.

In my role as not just Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) but also as co-lead for the criminal justice portfolio of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and a a member of the South West Reducing Reoffending Partnership, I will be looking into whether gambling treatment orders in court can be issued as a option to address the reasons for their crimes.

PCCs play a vital role in preventing gambling harms from leading to crime and people becoming victims of domestic abuse, fraud and child neglect, and I remain committed to finding new ways to prevent and help more people going down the destructive pathway of gambling.

Feb92026

The warning signs of coercion and control every parent needs to be aware of

opccNews,Uncategorized

Crucial advice to help parents recognise if their child is being subjected to coercion and control and how to talk to them about it has been shared by a community safety partnership which has developed an impactful Let’s Talk programme.

It is designed to empower parents and carers by raising awareness of the community safety risks and challenges faced by young people such as pornography, drugs and alcohol and relationships, while providing simple tips to support them.

The successful programme is now being expanded further thanks to funding of £100,000 being provided by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) as part of its commitment to fund innovative ideas that will help combat violence against women and young girls.

The money will help towards delivering important work including live online sessions to parents, carers and professionals, a Let’s Talk Dad’s Campaign and themed sessions such as misogyny.

Rebecca Hewitt, Teignbridge District Council strategy and policy manager and chair of South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership spoke about the Let’s Talk project – which has already had engaged with nearly 9,000 parents – after she was invited to be a ‘VIP’ guest in the third episode of new podcast series Your VIP (Your Voice in Policing) – a reference to Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Alison Hernandez’s vital role of acting on behalf of the public to be their voice in policing.

She said: “As a society now, we kind of expect parents to be nutritionists, to be psychiatrists and to be educationalists. There’s so much pressure on parents. The theme of Let’s Talk is very much be a parent, love, support, listen and develop communication.

“For example, a 15 year old girl is in a relationship and starts really well. Maybe the family know them then as the relationship starts to develop, that young girl kind of retracts from her friends. She maybe dresses differently and her behaviour starts to change.

“We see control and coercion in relationships with young people far too often. Our social media and our pornography is where a lot of young people are drawing their life experiences. The online world, is telling them that’s how it’s supposed to be.”

Advising how parents can best speak to their child if they have concerns, she said: “One of the things that we talk about in Let’s Talk is the last thing you want to do is sit your child down right in front of you and say, ‘let’s talk about this’. Use a social media story to talk about the circumstance rather than make it about them or do it side by side on a drive somewhere.

“We also talk to parents very much around being ready when you start that conversation, to not react with judgement and be really clear, and reinforce that you will always be there for them and you care from really early on which is why we’ve started working with parents at pre-school.

Asked for advice for parents who may be worried that asking difficult questions could mean their children stopped talking to them Rebecca said: “The big thing for us is don’t be afraid, but it won’t go away if you don’t try and get a solution. So pushing somebody away a bit for a little bit might be something that you have to accept, but if you’re continually telling them that you love them, that you will always be there for them, those things do matter and they do lead to positive outcomes.”

During the podcast, Rebecca – the 2025 winner of Combating Violence Against Women and Young Girls (VAWG) award at the West Country Women Awards, sponsored by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner – explained the important work being carried out by community safety partnerships across the peninsula to tackle VAWG.

She said: “Our approach is very much around looking at the whole community resolution. We’re fully aware that there’s lots of work focusing on those people that do come forward to report, but we don’t want that trauma to have happened in the first place. We want a culture shift.

“What we’re hearing from the young people that we work with is that an awful lot of harmful sexual behaviour has become really normalised. They wouldn’t even think to report it because that’s what happens as a young person.

“What we’re doing is working with young people to tell them that isn’t okay, to tell them what a healthy relationship is, to make it clear that they understand consent, and to talk about the impacts of the pornography that they’re watching.”

The importance of working collaboratively with other agencies to find solutions including the police, social services, youth services, housing providers and addiction services was highlighted by Rebecca who recalled a previous incident at the location where the podcast was recorded – Newton Abbot’s Courtenay Park.

She told how disturbing voyeurism claims of men taking photographs of young girls under the doors of public toilets in the park were tackled after the community safety partnership worked with the council to instal panels to cover the gaps under the toilet cubicles in just two weeks.

Rebecca said: “While we weren’t aware of any incidents actually taking place the fear was in the community and that had to be responded to.”

She also explained powerful community protection warnings (CPWs) can be. She recalled how a man was reported to be upskirting teenagers on buses but it was very difficult to obtain evidence. Working with the police, the community safety partnership secured a CPW to stop him travelling on buses in the district. There have been no further incidents reported since.

In the podcast, Commissioner Hernandez told how VAWG has been an issue throughout the 10 years she has served as PCC For Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and her frustration with ‘poor’ criminal justice results for victims and the latest statistics (below) which show that it has become an epidemic.

She said: “Most women have been a victim of some sort, whether it’s from street harassment all the way up to non-fatal strangulation or even murder. This is why we want to have the conversation about men. It is time for men to help us to step up and change their behaviours because I think some of them don’t even realise that they are being harmful. They’ve normalised it among themselves and that’s the sort of trend that we need to break in society.”

To listen to the podcast and the previous episodes, please click here.

To find out more about the Let’s Talk programme, please click here – Lets Talk – YouTube

VAWG – Key Facts

ALL SEXUAL OFFENCES

In the 12 months to June 2025, 6,847 sexual offences were recorded in Devon and Cornwall (including rape, sexual assault, and other non-contact offences). This is an increase of 15.0% on the previous year, or an additional 893 offences.

The rate of increase in Devon and Cornwall (15.0%) has been higher than reported across England and Wales (9.0%)

Fewer sexual offences achieve a positive outcome in Devon and Cornwall (9.2%) when compared to forces across England and Wales (11.3%).

Nationally, there has been an increase in the number of sexual offences recorded. This is largely due to the creation of two new sexual offences in January 2024. These relate to sending or sharing intimate photographs or films following the Online Safety Act 2023.

RAPE

In the 12 months to June 2025, 2,566 rapes were recorded in Devon and Cornwall. This is an increase of 17.2% on the previous year, or an additional 367 offences.

The rate of increase in Devon and Cornwall (17.2%) is higher than reported across England and Wales (6.0%)

Fewer rape offences achieve a positive outcome in Devon and Cornwall (8.6%) when compared to forces across England and Wales (9.2%).

Almost a quarter (24.4%) of all rapes in Devon and Cornwall were reported 12 months or more after the offence occurred (12 months to June 2025).

STALKING AND HARASSMENT

In the 12 months to June 2025, 15,127 stalking and harassment offences were recorded in Devon and Cornwall. This is an increase of 11.0% on the previous year, or an additional 1,499 offences.

The rate of increase in Devon and Cornwall (11.0%) has been higher than reported across England and Wales, which saw a -2.0% decrease. Devon and Cornwall Police have called for improved crime recording in this area, which may partially explain some of the increase.

Fewer stalking and harassment offences achieve a positive outcome in Devon and Cornwall (6.1%) when compared to forces across England and Wales (7.8%).

NON-FATAL STRANGULATION

In the 12 months to June 2025, 1,645 crimes of non-fatal strangulation were recorded by Devon and Cornwall Police. This is an increase of 10.0%, or an additional 150 crimes, when compared to the year prior.

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