Drug Use and Supply + associated exploitation of vulnerable people

Increase community engagement to generate intelligence. Information gained on drug use and supply will be enacted upon within Torquay to ensure that the town is a hostile place for this type of activity. Drug supply and use is to be disrupted especially where vulnerable people are involved and there is damage to the community. 

Update: 23 November 2024 - Update

Officers from the Neighbourhood team continue to disrupt drug activity within Torquay through the use of many tactics. The team are currently conducting premises search warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act every month. From these search warrants, controlled substances have been located and seized, together with offensive weapons. these tactics also provide further intelligence about drug activity in the area. 

Update: 24 August 2024 - update

Increased visibility of officers within the town has resulted in numerous drug seizures and arrests for drug related activity. We continue to build community intelligence to support the application of drug warrants and to tackle the associated ASB through the use of closure orders, community protection notices and enforcement of the Public Spaces Protection Order.

Hotspot Policing

Provide a highly visible policing presence at key locations within Torquay with the following aims: 

1) Increase trust in police to tackle ASB and Serious Violence.

2) Increase comfort for residents in using hotspot public spaces.

3) Influence behaviour change to reduce the number of ASB and Serious Violence incidents.

4) Encourage reporting of ASB and Serious Violence.

Delivery Hotspots:

•Union Street
•East Street
•South Street
•Vansittart Road
•Factory Row
•Castle Circus
•The Strand
•Vaughan Parade

Update: 20 December 2024 - Outcomes for November 2024

Devon and Cornwall has implemented a policing and partnership delivery model for patrolling in key hotspots, and a partner only patrol capacity (street marshals/town wardens) in a further eight key hotspots with additional support from funded police officers and PCSOs. This is maximising the opportunity for visibility through cross partnership working. Torquay has eight identified hotspots.

Police officers delivered 160 hours of foot patrol in Torquay. Street marshals visited 655 premises and spoke to 1553 members of the public. One of the top complaints from people is youngsters cycling at speed through our town centres. Rest assured we have plans in place to address this issue, more to follow....

Update: 23 November 2024 - Outcomes for October 2024

144 hours of planned Hotspot Patrols took place in October.

During which one arrest was made and four stop searches took place. Police officers undertaking this work also visited 145 premises and engaged with 260 people. This is over and above the day to day activities that officers undertake. Street Marshalls visited 453 premises and engaged with 1133 people within the community during October.

Community Feedback:

•Lots of interactions with the public asking for information about the area, also members of the public saying it’s good to see us out and about.
•Members of the public saying how much better they feel going into town knowing officers are around and patrolling.
•We had a lot of positive feedback from the public saying that they were pleased to see us, and thanked us for our presence in town etc. We engaged a lot with members of the public who had questions/queries and submitted a PPN for someone struggling with a few issues.

Update: 01 July 2024 - Outcomes for May 2024

Between 01/05/24 – 30/05/24 in Torquay - In addition to officers other commitments, officers solely working on this project have delivered 136 hours of patrol in the hotspot locations, conducted an arrest and stop and search activity, seized property, dispersed seven people within the Public Space Protection zone, and engaged with 420 people and visited 22 premises. 

Community Feedback:

‘Positive engagement with MOP.’

‘Spoke with dozens of people who were all pleased to see police'

‘The manager at a well know coffee shop on the seafront offered particular praise for seeing more police
officers out on foot and stated how he had noticed this having a positive impact on
ASB in the area.’

‘Several people commented how nice it was to see the police out on foot .’

‘Spoke to some street attached people and signposted them towards accommodation, food , mobile
phone etc, who were happy with the advice passed.’

Persistent and severe anti-social behaviour

Castle Circus - Target and solve all aspects of persistent and severe Antisocial Behaviour - Focussing on drug and alcohol related ASB.

Update: 23 November 2024 - Updates November 2024

PSPO powers continue to be used to disperse problematic individuals from the area

A premises closure order was granted and executed at an address within the town centre due to persistent ASB

Students from the Pubic Services Course At South Devon College recently presented to a panel of professional partners on a multitude of interventions they would like to see for Torquay to improve the area. 

The engagement van has been consistently parked in high profile locations within Torquay Town centre

One individual involved in persistent ASB within the town centre has been issued with a Community Behaviour Order. 

ASB Awareness Week has been taking place during the week 18th – 24th November 2024. This event has brought Police, Local Authority and Housing partners together across Devon and Cornwall to promote the work that is being progressed locally to tackle ASB. 

Update: 08 July 2024 - Update July 2024

We have increased the visibility and frequency of patrols in the area through dedicated town centre neighbourhood beat managers and police community support officers supported by an additional Sergeant and 5 constables from the newly established neighbourhood support team.

We are working collaboratively with statutory partners to tackle anti-social and drug offending in the location whilst also working on longer term projects to address the underlying causes of these issues.

This has resulted in the successful implementation of a Public Spaces Protection Order, giving us more tools to deal with alcohol related anti-social behaviour.

In addition we have conducted targeted shoplifting prevention operations, made numerous arrests for violence related offences, possession of bladed articles, public order offences and drug offences.

We have built the intelligence picture through engagement with the local community and we have made effective use of dispersal powers to exclude problematic individuals from the area.

Update: 02 July 2024 - Outcomes in June 2024