Crime and disorder associated with the supply and use of controlled drugs and alcohol.

We understand that the use and supply of controlled drugs leads to crime and disorder. Many individuals involved in acquisitive crime (Burglaries and Thefts) are using it to fund their drug habits. The Neighbourhood Team, supported by other Policing resources actively target drug suppliers on a day-to-day basis. We carry out intelligence led operations and Misuse Of Drugs Act warrants to try and bring drug suppliers to justice. Disrupting the supply of illicit drugs helps to not only safeguard people in our community, but also to prevent acquisitive crime. If you wish to pass any information about drug supply in our area, please either speak to one of your local officers, report to Police by one of the means detailed on this Web Site, or report anonymously via Crimestoppers.

Another aspect of this priority is the crime and disorder linked to the night-time economy. The Neighbourhood Team work closely with the Police licensing officer, dealing with issues around licensed premises and carrying out licensing checks. We also assist with the Policing of the night-time economy itself and often carry out patrols in the late evening in order to prevent alcohol related offences from taking place.

Update: 12 April 2024 - Action taken:

Barnstaple is Northern Devon's principle Town, and due to its role within the surrounding are, has a service provision to match those typically seen in much larger Towns or Cities. This includes a general hospital with an Emergency Department and Physical and Psychiatric treatment wards. There are also the Magistrates Court, the Local Probation and Youth Justice Teams and Local authority Homeless/Rough Sleeping outreach teams, and drug treatment. These services are supported by third sector organisations delivering focussed support services including caseworkers, housing, and hot meals provision. We have the benefit of proximity to their fantastic amenities set in a rich landscape. We also see offending associated with street attached service users. This includes drug supply and use, disorder perpetrated by intoxicated people, begging, and acquisitive crime and shoplifting. Some of those involved have local connections, some are more transient. We also experience young people causing a nuisance or behaving in a disorderly manner. There are frequently features of previous trauma and entrenched behaviours in both groups, and underlying problems require focussed partnership problem solving along with prompt escalation through criminal justice processes alongside local Antisocial escalation.

On an ongoing and regular basis, we update communities using our dedicated social networks. We invite and encourage you to follow our accounts:

X:                     Barnstaple Police (@BarumPolice) / X (twitter.com)

Facebook:       Barnstaple Police

Please participate in our ongoing survey which seeks to understand how what concerns you the most via the following link:

https://forms.office.com/e/GXNSKHfHhL

Antisocial behaviour and street-based crime and disorder affecting neighbourhoods.

Update: 12 April 2024 - Action taken:

Barnstaple Sector includes the town of Barnstaple, but also incorporates local villages including Instow, Westleigh, Bishops Tawton, Landkey, Swimbridge, Bratton Fleming and Goodleigh; and their surrounding countryside. We understand that the areas in which we all live need to feel like safe environments for us, and that whilst incidents of serious crime can have a devastating impact, so too can repeated lower-level nuisance, abuse or disturbance. We continually monitor our reported crime trends and serious to keep a constant awareness of where such incidents or crime series are developing, and continually shift our patrol patterns to focus on the areas of greatest need.  We also survey residents on an ongoing basis, to allow us to understand what residents feel our priorities should be, and ensure we take and communicate our action around those issues.

On an ongoing and regular basis, we update communities using our dedicated social networks. We invite and encourage you to follow our accounts:

X:                     Barnstaple Police (@BarumPolice) / X (twitter.com)

Facebook:       Barnstaple Police

Please participate in our ongoing survey which seeks to understand how what concerns you the most via the following link:

https://forms.office.com/e/GXNSKHfHhL

Drug and alcohol related crime and disorder in the Town Centre

Update: 28 November 2024 - CBOs - Criminal Behaviour Orders

Since the start of the year the team have been working hard to secure Criminal Behaviour Orders on some of the most disruptive of our street attached population. We have successfully secured 3 orders with a further 2 currently awaiting court hearings. The orders contain various conditions depending on the individual and should they be breached there is a power of arrest.

Update: 12 April 2024 - Antisocial behaviour and street-based crime and disorder affecting neighbourhoods.

Violence against women and girls

Update: 28 November 2024 - Walk and Talk

Walk and Talk - If you are a woman aged 18 or over and have concerns about where you live or work in Barnstaple, you can meet with a female officer at the location to discuss. The officer will  listen to you and take note of your concerns so that, together with community partners, we can start tackling some of the issues. To apply please email your name, address, contact number and the area you'd like the walk to take place to: [email protected]

Improving our sense of public space safety, dealing effectively with antisocial behaviour, and building public confidence.

As a Neighbourhood Team we are aware that one of the top priorities for both local residents and visitors to the town is the level of Antisocial Behaviour. The Neighbourhood Team work in partnership with a number of other agencies to try and address this behaviour.  Police Officers carry out regular patrols of the town centre along with other partnership staff, using powers particularly under the Public Spaces Protection Order to deal with alcohol consumption in the street and rowdy groups. We also focus on dealing with aggressive begging, which is often carried out by individuals who have a home and are receiving benefits. We look to utilise Antisocial Behaviour Legislation to target people that are regularly coming to notice and have secured several Criminal Behaviour Orders at Court over the past year, which impose strict conditions on the individuals.

We are also cognisant of the ‘broken window theory’, whereby essentially a poor environment can encourage or at least fail to discourage Antisocial Behaviour and crime. We are again working to address this with our partner agencies, looking to improve lighting, CCTV coverage and the general state of particularly the town centre.