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.