A NEW streamlined policing policy aimed at releasing front-line patrol constables to respond to incidents and issues on the street is soon to be introduced in the Newton Abbot area.
It will feature a new neighbourhood management unit, with Sgt Barry Sleight as team leader. He is to have four police officers as neighbourhood beat managers, the team will link with eight police community support officers and eight special constables are to work with them.
Police Insp Andy Dower revealed the new measures at Newton Abbot Town Council's Finance and General Purposes Committee on Wednesday, saying some of the officers were now in place. There were already five PCSOs, another would arrive in May and two more later in the year.
The area was due to receive 13 PCSOs, but a reduction of government funding has seen numbers drop throughout the country. Insp Dower explained the new arrangements and revealed that incident calls in the area for November, December and January had dropped from 3,521 in the corresponding period 12 months earlier, to 3,387, though December was busier than 2005.
All the crime reduction targets were achieved the previous year, and he admitted that last year it was going to be difficult to achieve further reductions. 'Despite that, violent crime was 101/2 per cent down, a drop of 48 offences, and vehicle crime was almost two per cent down, following on from a 30 per cent reduction in the previous year.
Insp Dower said house burglary had increased by 17. 'I believe a number of those offences are down to one particular individual and we are taking active steps to solve that.
'Some elderly people are clearly being targeted and some assaulted, which is really quite sad. 'We are targeting that. Operation Lock Up offers a method where trained staff go out into the area to give crime prevention advice.
'There is money available for security measures. Many of the burglaries that occur are due to premises not being locked and advice is given in general about security,' he said. Insp Dower admitted that the thorn in his side was criminal damage and anti-social behaviour, with a rise in that area.
They had been tackling the youth problem, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, confiscating alcohol. An initiative had been introduced three years ago with £12,000 a year funding. That money had now been withdrawn but he had found money from some other resources to keep it going. He thanked members of the Special Constabulary who had voluntarily changed their duties to provide Friday and Saturday night cover. 'We will never be able to solve these problems but we will try to make it better,' he added.
Cctv went from strength to strength and he hoped another camera would be installed in Newton Abbot, while he was also hoping the reduction in police vehicles would not have an adverse affect on the front line. 'I have looked at an option of motorcycles being used and there are five extra pedal cycles,' he said.