Devon and Cornwall Police step up patrols to target anti-social behaviour and serious violence

Devon and Cornwall Police have introduced an initiative to target anti-social behaviour and serious violence across the two counties.

Operation Loki is a hotspot policing initiative using tactics including high-visibility patrols, schools prevention activity, traffic operations, surveys and community engagement.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez secured £1 million of Home Office funding to deliver additional police and street marshal patrols. Crime data was used to identify hotspots in 13 towns and cities across the peninsula.

In its first quarter, Operation Loki delivered 2,104 additional hours of police foot patrols across Barnstaple, Exeter, Newquay, Plymouth, Torquay and Truro.

These additional hours have led to 62 arrests across the two counties.

Additionally, there's been 70 stop searches leading to the seizing of nine offensive weapons.

Chief Inspector Tim Evans, who heads up the project, said: “Hotspot policing is a proven methodology and the results across Devon and Cornwall so far confirm that high visibility patrols are effective. Officers are not only deterring and disrupting crime while out on patrol but actively engaging with the public. We have received fantastic feedback so far with residents happy to see more police on the streets.”

Newquay will see an uplift in patrols during the summer with funding available for daily patrols.

You can find out more about this initiative at street-focus.co.uk.

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