Photo of police officers with Councillor Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for Coast, Country and Environment, and Matt Blythe, Assistant Director for Environmental Health
Councillor Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for Coast, Country and Environment, and Matt Blythe, Assistant Director for Environmental Health, at the launch of the hotspot policing initiative in Exmouth

Street marshal patrols launched in Exmouth this week as part of a hotspot policing initiative in Devon and Cornwall.

The patrols aim to proactively disrupt crime and act as a deterrent, as well as providing a reassuring presence to help people feel safe.

A briefing event was held at Exmouth’s police station before the first patrol. Key parties came together to learn more about the proven methodology of hotspot policing. This included members of the team at East Devon District Council and the street marshals they commissioned, as well as the neighbourhood policing team.

Local insights were shared by Sergeant Richard Stonecliffe, neighbourhood team leader for Exmouth. The street marshals will be working closely with his team to deliver high visibility patrols, further enhancing the work already being undertaken to increase safety in the community.

Councillor Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for Coast, Country and Environment, said:

“We are pleased to welcome this additional funding to enable a multi-agency approach to provide extra policing and patrols in Exmouth town centre and seafront this summer.”

Joint working between the police and council is vital to create impactful, long-term change. Devon & Cornwall Police crime data was used to identify the hotspot locations and create patrol plans which have been shared with partners.

Grant Leitch, Exmouth Sector Inspector, said:

“Hotspot policing is an innovative deployment, by which policing, councils and private providers can target and confront ASB and criminality together. Its strength lies in its data-driven focus on identified areas, along with the flexibility to adapt as circumstances change. It will reassure the public by virtue of presence and visibility, in tandem with providing credible challenge to those that undermine our communities. Our aim is to make our streets safer by this strengthening, collective work, thus ensuring the public do not feel alone.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez secured £1 million in Home Office funding for hotspot policing, which forms part of a wider Street Focus project. The funding is shared across multiple locations in 13 towns and cities, including Exmouth. A further £200,000 in funding from the Commissioner will help to maximise the number of partner patrols across Devon and Cornwall which will commence in the coming weeks.