Devon & Cornwall Police "boosts frontline presence for busy summer period"

Devon & Cornwall Police has introduced a "comprehensive summer policing plan to help keep communities safe" during one of the busiest times of the year, as visitor numbers increase significantly across the region.

Last year, Devon & Cornwall Police saw a 15 per cent increase in urgent incidents between June and September, responding to an average of 292 urgent incidents each day, compared with an average of 255 per day during the remainder of the year.

To meet the increased demand from residents and visitors over the summer, officers who would normally be delivering training are being redeployed into frontline and other public-facing roles, undertaking a minimum of five shifts supporting operational policing.

PC Craig Williams, who ordinarily delivers public order training to frontline officers, is among those temporarily redeployed to neighbourhood patrol duties in North Devon. He said "Every summer we see a significant increase in demand as millions of people flock to Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for their holidays.

"Our summer policing plan is a coordinated response to that demand, ensuring we have the right people in the right places at the right time.

"By temporarily redeploying experienced officers into operational roles, we are increasing our visibility, strengthening our resilience and providing additional support to frontline teams and those investigating crime.

“The benefits also extend to me in my training role. The nature of policing itself and the operational processes required from operational officers are constantly changing, so dipping my toes back into frontline policing will provide me with refreshed knowledge that I can use to optimise my training role.”

As part of the summer resilience plan, some training scheduled for August has been rescheduled, and annual leave arrangements have been managed to maximise operational capacity during the peak holiday season.

Whilst some officers are joining patrol teams responding to urgent calls, others are supporting custody suites and detective teams investigating crime; providing force-wide resilience during the busiest months of the year.

Devon & Cornwall Police continues to work closely with local partners and communities throughout the summer to ensure Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly remain safe places to live, work and visit.