Devon & Cornwall Police News site

Hotspot and Neighbourhood Policing in 2025

Hotspot policing designed to reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) with targeted neighbourhood police and street marshal patrols in areas with the highest levels of crime was a great success last year.

Made possible through £2,000,000 Home Office funding and an additional £500,000 secured by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to support street marshal patrols the initiative, which started in 2024, has so far delivered 45,214 hours of additional patrols in towns and cities across Devon and Cornwall.

Information received from the public about what is troubling their communities has been key to delivering this targeted policing.

Chief Inspector Dominic Nicholls for Devon & Cornwall Police said: “Reports of ASB go not just to the police but also to local authorities, housing associations and other organisations, so a joined-up response is vital.”

“Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams are the key to delivering our response. We use the Hotspot Policing model which gathers intelligence and allows us to target our resources where they can have the maximum effect. Beat patrols, supported by dedicated Neighbourhood Support teams, helps us maintain a visible presence in the community and address the underlying causes of crime, such as social disorder and public nuisances, and prevent future incidents.”

In 2025 officers used a range of solutions to end ongoing ASB and to prevent further occurrences.

Not all interventions require criminal proceeding and include closure orders on troublesome residential properties, Public Space Protection Orders, educational visits such as police in Cornwall hosting sessions on ASB to over 500 primary school students, and working with the local community such as Okehampton Police in a bid to raise funds to rejuvenate a local skatepark and using proceeds of crime funding  to help Tavistock Youth Cafe offer more activities and support to young people. 

Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Alison Hernandez said: “I have made it a priority to tackle this major cause of distress and criminality and backed it up with £300,000 funding for street marshals in 2025.

“When my office carries-out surveys asking people which issue they would most like the police to tackle they mention ‘anti-social behaviour’ more often than any other crime-type.

“As well as the immediate harassment, alarm or distress it causes to people it can also be associated with criminal causes such as drug dealing. The problem can't be tackled alone by the police, councils have a huge part to play with their own civil powers, and that’s why my office has initiatives such as Street Focus which encourages vital partnership working between agencies.”

Based on reports of ASB received by the police and partners, Hotspot policing is concentrated on Barnstaple, Bideford, Bodmin, Camborne, Exeter, Exmouth, Newton Abbot, Newquay, Paignton, Penzance, Plymouth, St Austell, Tiverton, Torquay and Truro. Neighbourhood policing teams across Devon and Cornwall also conduct their own localised response to reports of ASB.

The public can find out more about ASB and how to report it on the Devon & Cornwall Police website dc.police.uk/ASB and follow their local policing teams/ social media posts to see regular updates on what is being done, or sign up to Devon & Cornwall Police Community Messaging Home Page - Devon and Cornwall Community Messaging

36 ASB policing highlights from 2025, as reported on the Devon & Cornwall Police website and neighbourhood police social media accounts and in local media, are listed below.

Tavistock Police 10 / 01
Police funding gives a new year boost to youngsters in the Tavistock area
Funding from Devon & Cornwall Police has been donated to Tavistock Youth Café to help it offer more activities and support to young people.  

Torquay 13 / 02
Extra police officers deployed to Torquay in response to feedback from community
In response to feedback captured in a local police survey, extra police officers will be deployed to Torquay town centre for the next four-weeks to deter offenders and keep people safe.

Kingsteignton 17/02
Closure orders secured on properties causing nuisance in Kingsteignton
Closure orders have been granted on two properties in Kingsteignton following reports of ongoing nuisance behaviour which was causing concerns within the local community.

Exeter Community Safety Team 04/03
Community Safety Team granted powers to address antisocial behaviour
Exeter’s Community Safety Team have been granted limited policing powers through the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS). Introduced last year through collective investment by Exeter City Council and InExeter, the team are supported by additional funding from Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez as part of the hotspot policing initiative. 

Torquay 10/03
Closure order puts a stop to antisocial behaviour affecting residents, Torquay
A property in Torquay has been served a closure order after reports from the public of persistent antisocial behaviour (ASB) inside and outside the address.

Torquay 14/03
Property that housed £30,000 of heroin receives closure order
Devon & Cornwall Police have been successful in obtaining a closure order on a property in Torquay following reports of drug dealing and anti-social behaviour.

Plymouth 26/03
Police tackle antisocial behaviour at local park following reports from the community, Plymouth
Devon & Cornwall Police are stepping up their patrols and cracking down on alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour (ASB) at a local park in response to concerns shared by local people in Plymouth.

Torquay 21/03
Police disrupt drug supply in Torquay after securing a closure order
A property reported to have been selling drugs in Torquay has received a closure order, providing relief to local residents and disrupting the sale of drugs in the community.

Plymouth 16/04
Closure order provides local residents relief from antisocial behaviour, Plymouth
“No resident should feel intimidated, worried or anxious about where they live, as a result of antisocial behaviour,” says Sergeant Clare Moore. A property on Adelaide Street [Plymouth] has been served with a three-month closure order after persistent antisocial behaviour (ASB) was reported to the police.

Kingskerswell 28/04
Closure order puts a stop to drug dealing and antisocial behaviour, Kingskerswell
A closure order has been put in place on a property in Newton Abbot to disrupt antisocial behaviour (ASB) and suspected drug dealing taking place at the address.

Kingsteignton 02/05
Antisocial behaviour disrupted with closure order, Kingsteignton
Devon and Cornwall Police have been successful in obtaining a closure order on a property in Kingsteignton following reports from the community of drug dealing and antisocial behaviour.

Hayle 09/05
Proactive police operation targets antisocial behaviour and large beach gatherings in Hayle
Police officers conducted a coordinated operation in Hayle to target people engaging in antisocial behaviour, resulting in an arrest and the disruption of a planned large scale beach party involving young people under the age of 18.

Okehampton Police 21 / 05
Skatepark regeneration hope after jam event
…organised to encourage people of all ages to use the park in a bid to reduce anti-social behaviour.

Plymouth Police  29 / 05
Police in Plymouth take action with partners to stop offences and keep the community safe
…a focus on hotspot areas linked to anti-social behaviour

Devonport West 30/05
Plymouth Closure Order to stop nuisance behaviour and give residents some peace
…residential property in West Country Close which was generating a great deal of anti-social behaviour and having a significant impact on the local community. This included drugs misuse, excessive noise and a steady stream of visitors both day and night.

Truro  03/06
Police put the brakes on dangerous driving in Truro
… reports from the community about antisocial use of motorcycles in Hendra and cars in Malpas, Newham and Threemilestone.

Camborne – 04/06
Closure order at business in Camborne puts a halt to relentless antisocial behaviour
…a hotspot for violence and antisocial behaviour (ASB), causing relentless disruption to the local community.

Bude – 04/06
Closure orders put a stop to drug dealing, violence and antisocial behaviour, Bude
Closure orders have been granted on two properties in Bude following reports of ongoing crime and nuisance behaviour which was causing concerns within the local community

West Devon 06/06
New neighbourhood policing priorities have been set for West Devon
anti-social behaviour in West Devon has decreased by 3.4% in the last 12 months.
Inspector Jones…consistent police presence in the area… Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) are being introduced in Okehampton and Tavistock

Okehampton and Tavistock  11/06
Public Space Protection Orders put in place to tackle anti-social behaviour in West Devon
PSPOs introduced

Liskeard 19/06
Police close problem property following persistent antisocial behaviour, Liskeard
Residential, drugs

Wadebridge 25/06
Police in Wadebridge secure closure order to tackle ASB
Residential, drugs, rowdy behaviour

Saltash 04/07
Positive action taken to tackle youth antisocial behaviour, Saltash
nuisance behaviour such as being loud, swearing and general disorder; all of which had been causing alarm to passers-by…regular patrols, engaging

Liskeard 22/07
Property to be shut for three months after causing persistent antisocial behaviour
Closure order, residential …visitors at all hours causing noise disruptions, suspected drug dealing and drug use, vehicles being used antisocially and concerns around household waste being stored outside the property.

Cornwall 24/07
Keeping crime out of the future: police educate over 500 children on antisocial behaviour
500 10-11 years old…age of criminal responsibility is 10

Dartmoor 24/07
Police collaborate with rangers to keep Dartmoor safe and beautiful for all.
…anti-social behaviour which continues to impact the moor, including littering, fly-tipping, livestock worrying and irresponsible use of disposable barbecues and open fires.

St Austell 22/08
Nuisance properties that have taken toll on local people now shut for three-months
St Austell properties that became a hive for antisocial behaviour (ASB) have been boarded up for three months to put a stop to the persistent activity.

Bude 29 / 08
Closure order secured to help prevent antisocial behaviour, Bude
A property in Bude that became a hotspot for antisocial behaviour (ASB) becomes a no-go zone for visitors after officers serve tenants with a partial closure order.

Bodmin 28 / 08
Police respond to antisocial driving concerns in Bodmin
Officers are handing out warnings to people found driving antisocially after reports of vehicle disturbances during the early hours of the morning in Bodmin.

Camborne 11/09
Bar has licence revoked following persistent antisocial behaviour, Camborne
A Cornwall bar has been banned from serving alcohol to customers after it became a hotspot for antisocial behaviour (ASB) in the town centre.

Bideford 25 / 09
Closure orders granted at two domestic properties in Bideford
Closure orders have been put in place at 20 Pridham Place and 54 Pridham Place in Bideford after the properties became hotspots for antisocial behaviour; causing relentless disruption to the local community.

Helston 10 / 09
Police’s crackdown on antisocial behaviour in Helston continues
Police have been carrying out targeted activity following community concerns in Helston around antisocial behaviour (ASB) in a bid to identify and deter offenders.

Troon 06/10
No one to enter antisocial behaviour hotspot address following reports to police
A residential address that caused the local community in Troon repeated havoc has now been shut for three months in a bid to put a stop to antisocial behaviour (ASB).

Torquay 14 / 10
Police granted first closure order for hotel following anti-social and nuisance behaviour in Torquay
In a first for Devon & Cornwall Police, a Torquay hotel has been closed for three months after several reports of offences. The Sherwood Hotel in Belgrave Road is subject to a partial closure order

Newquay 20 / 10
Police take action to restore peace at local antisocial hotspot
Visitors will no longer be allowed inside a town-centre residential property in Newquay after it became a hive for antisocial behaviour (ASB), causing chaos to nearby residents.

Barnstaple 27/11
Police crackdown on antisocial behaviour in Barnstaple
This month, the Barnstaple Neighbourhood Policing team secured a residential closure order and a criminal behaviour order as part of their ongoing commitment to tackle antisocial behaviour in North Devon.