Whether it is inconsiderate neighbours playing music too loud or stinking out their neighbourhood with the smell of cannabis, antisocial behaviour (ASB) remains Devon and Cornwall residents’ top concern.

Of 22 issues mentioned in my annual policing survey it has come out top for years – and early indications from this year’s survey suggest that will remain the case when we get the results in January.

One of the reasons ASB remains such a persistent problem is that it takes such a variety of forms – some is dealt with by council officers and some is criminal behaviour which should be directed towards police.

Anyone underestimating the impact of ASB on people should think again – left to escalate it can result in some of the most serious crimes being committed. 

Since 2020 bids to the Government’s Safer Streets fund, many of them co-ordinated by my office, have netted £5.6m to tackle ASB and make cities and town centres across Devon and Cornwall safer for women and girls.

Enforcement and policing are clearly part of the solution and I have been keen to support action on this front, funding training to 332 police officers and front-line staff, 81 housing officers and 137 housing officers so they are confident of the legal powers granted to them to tackle those who insist on behaving in a way that negatively impacts on others.

I am delighted with the force’s response to ASB since I made it a priority in my police and crime plan too. Operation Loki – a high visibility response to rises in ASB after the pandemic - was launched earlier this year.

Policing teams in locations including Truro, Falmouth, Plymouth and Exeter took part in this drive to get back to the basics of dealing with street-level nuisance and criminality using a hot-spot policing approach. Loki resulted in 156 arrests, 300 person and vehicle stops and 30,000 positive interactions with the community by November 2023.

A second round of Loki is taking place in Exeter over the next few weeks, where the focus is on street drinking, aggressive begging and drug dealing – issues which really impact on residents of the city and visitors who are enjoying festive shopping and nights out.

In just three and a half days the city team had stopped and searched five people, seized drugs from two and confiscated five weapons. This work is not easy, with one officer assaulted in the course of her duty, but such action keeps the rest of us safe and helps maintain Devon and Cornwall as the safest force area in the country. 

If you have yet to tell me what you think about policing in Devon and Cornwall there is still time to have your say on my Your Safety, Your Say survey. Simply visit my website to answer the questions online or call my office on 01392 225555.