ABOUT a month ago I sat down in Okehampton with Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez to discuss a number of issues relating to policing in our constituency. 

They included the re-opening of the front desk at the local police station within the next few months and the challenges associated with county lines drug trafficking. This followed another recent meeting I held with a local police inspector in North Tawton, where we spoke about tackling domestic abuse.

During both meetings there was positivity over local recruitment, with more police officers destined for our constituency currently going through intensive training. 

This has been part of a national drive, promised in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto, to recruit 20,000 new police officers. Last week the government hit that target. 

This boost brings the total number of police officers in England and Wales to nearly 150,000 – a record high. Police forces are now more representative of the diverse communities they serve, with over 53,000 female officers (35.5%) and over 12,000 (8.3%) officers from an ethnic minority background – both also at record highs.

Crime in England and Wales has fallen by 50% since 2010, excluding fraud and computer misuse. Since 2020 theft has reduced by 20%, homicides and knife crime by 8% and domestic burglary by 30%. 

But while progress is being made, a lot more needs to be done, not least to improve prosecution rates of sexual offenders. Additional officers out on the beat in Central Devon will make a big difference locally, both to the number of crimes that can be properly investigated and to police visibility – a key factor in driving down anti-social behaviour. 

The police did a remarkable job this weekend across the country during the King’s coronation, especially in our capital. The coronation was a prime target for potential problems, so for the day to have gone virtually without a hitch is in no small part down to the hard work of thousands of police officers and our intelligence services. 

The whole occasion made me feel very proud - I’m not sure any other country in the world could have pulled off such a spectacular event quite like we do it.

I was fortunate enough to attend the coronation and have such wonderful memories of it. The music, pageantry and history were brought together superbly. Memories of that day will last with me for the rest of my life.

I was also able to represent our country at a major reception for the 200 dignitaries from around the world who are important for our trade and security.

The whole cabinet worked really hard to make sure that all felt welcome and many useful discussions were held. The Coronation was all round a great example of how the UK projects its soft power on the global stage.

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