Police step up patrols in Exmouth

Offenders will be dealt with 'robustly'

Police in Exmouth say they are bringing in extra resources to crack down on anti-social behaviour, drug-dealing, assaults and shoplifting in the town, as it sees an increase in visitors over the summer months.

They have been given extra 'hotspot' funding from the Home Office ‘hotspot’ to increase patrols, and are spending it increasing their presence in the town centre and along the seafront.

East Devon District Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon & Cornwall have also stumped up cash.

The police say the hotspot funding means they can afford to pinpoint certain areas and crime patterns. They can tailor their shifts to when the public might need them most so offences can be prevented. They say they are doing their best to keep people safe.

Inspector Grant Leitch, who heads the police, said: “We have a range of measures to help deal with the extra summer demand and my neighbourhood team are working hard to be out and about in the community and help as many people as possible."

“Hot weather and excess alcohol is not a good mix and we will deal with any anti-social behaviour or assaults in a robust manner. We want local residents and visitors to enjoy our lovely town of Exmouth and go home with happy memories.

'Where's the party?' (image courtesy: Devon and Cornwall Police)

"We understand that tourism is very important for this area. We don’t want anyone to become a victim of crime and we would ask the public to be vigilant and report any incidents to us via the 101 non-emergency number or via our force website.”     

During the summer police work closely with partners such as British Transport Police, local councils, RNLI, HM Coastguard, NHS and local retailers and businesses, as well as the nearby holiday parks.

Insp Grant Leitch added: “As well as my fantastic team of local officers here in Exmouth who are proud to serve their communities, I can also call upon extra resources from police colleagues in places such as Exeter and South Devon. We also have Forcewide, specialist teams who can be deployed to the area as and when necessary to tackle issues such as drug dealing or shoplifting.