Newton Abbot police chief, Insp Andy Dower, has reacted angrily to a claim that his officers are targeting speeding drivers at the expense of rising burglary rates and criminal damage. A correspondent who wrote to the Advertiser – 'A 55-year-old man with no speeding convictions as yet' – said that while Ipplepen beat officer PC Jo Miles had concentrated on speeding, burglaries and vandalism in the village had risen by up to 300 per cent. 'The only way for the police to raise their conviction rates and make their figures look good is to target the motorist,' he wrote. Acknowledging that residents had the right to make their views known through press letter pages, Insp Dower urged that they checked their facts first. 'This gentleman is greatly misguided regarding crime figures in Ipplepen,' he said, and revealed that nine burglaries had been recorded in the village last year, down from 10 the year before. Incidents of criminal damage were also down from 10 to six over the same period. PC Miles, who works within Insp Dower's patch, defended her record and said she had responded to the greatest needs identified by the parish council. 'Since being in post I have attended parish council meetings where residents have had the opportunity to voice their concerns,' she said. 'The issues that are constantly reported is speeding through the village and parking. 'When I carry out speed operations in the village the feedback is very positive. 'At the last parish council meeting, I spoke about burglaries, but again concerns about speed dominated the proceedings. We are doing everything we can to reduce burglaries and to prioritise our work according to need,' she said. PC Miles' last speed check revealed that of the 118 cars monitored, 78 were speeding. After 'educating' errant drivers she now intends to issue tickets to those breaking the 20mph limit.
