Mr T Pamment, of Silverwood Avenue, Newton Abbot, has sent us a copy of his letter to Tony Hogg, Devon and Cornwall police commissioner:

I am absolutely appalled at recent reports in the press and TV regarding the performance (or otherwise) of the Devon and Cornwall police force.

I refer first of all to the failure to log crime and other incidents. I feel there is something underhand here as this would be to help massage the figures to show a better success rate for solving crime. But perhaps you have a beter reason for this.

Secondly, the report of calls non-emergency, or perhaps a low per centage of emergency calls, not being answered, causing frustration to callers.

Things do not seem to be improving under your stewardship and consider it time to put some pressure on relevant forces to achieve some improvement.

I have, along with others, come to the conclusion that very few officers actually seem to observe when on patrol, especially the younger ones who seem plumped up with their importance when in a patrol car.

I live in the Newton Abbot area and am disgusted at press reports of vandalism in Newton Abbot, especially at the newly-refurbished Victoria Gardens, where mindless yobs took perverse pleasure in starting to deconstruct an area by ripping up the paviours and lobbing them into the river. About 90-plus were dumped.

Where were the police? This was not a five-minute bout of vandalism.

Local police must know where the local troublespots are and at what sort of time the local loonies like to kick off.

What a great shame the D and C Police felt their budget would not stretch to supporting the local CCTV scheme; other areas up country use it to great effect and success.

All in all I think that it is time for you and your bloated staff to get to grips with this situation and start to get some results, and if this means more bobbies you will have to use your influence to achieve the financial requirements this would result in.

I look forward to receiving your comments on the above subjects.

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