Devon & Cornwall Police News site

A new pilot scheme means police in North Devon can be more accessible to the public thanks to Community Engagement Hubs in Bideford and Westward Ho!

The new hubs are located at Jubilee Square, The Quay, Bideford and the RNLI building, slipway car park, Westbourne Terrace in Westward Ho!

In Bideford it will predominantly be the local neighbourhood police officers working from the hub and they will be joined by the Community Safety Team from Torridge District Council. It is anticipated the Jubilee Square hub will be open all year round and is a central point in the town to allow officers closer access to incidents and, potentially, faster response times. The hub is currently undergoing some maintenance to make it suitable for officers and other visitors.    

Officers have already been using the Westward Ho! hub during the busy summer months which is the peak time for visitors to the coastal town and when demand is highest. The hub is shared with lifeguards who work for the RNLI.

Bideford Neighbourhood Team Leader, Sergeant Glyn Clark said: “These Community Engagement Hubs are a great asset for officers to use and allow us to get closer to the public, be more accessible and be on hand to deal with incidents and queries. These bases are possible thanks to our close working partnership with Torridge District Council. Officers on foot patrol can offer a more visible presence in the two towns and help reassure residents and shoppers.

“The public tell us they want us to be more visible in the community and this helps us to fulfil that. We also hope that being close to the centre of things may also help prevent crime. We are treating the new hubs as a trial run pilot project to see how they are received and hope to use them more in the future.”   

Bideford is a hotspot location chosen to receive extra support and funding from Police & Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Alison Hernandez, and Torridge District Council. As part of the uplift for the area the town has introduced street marshal patrols and, along with local officers, this means the public can expect to see a more visible presence for reassurance. The street marshals were launched in July this year and patrol according to where research shows they are needed the most to prevent anti-social behaviour (ASB) and other issues. Feedback from the public so far has been largely positive and the patrols have been stepped up during the busy school summer holidays.

Police and partners are working more closely together and are dedicated to challenging unwanted behaviour through enforcement of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and other forms of enforcement. Recently, a Community Protection Warning was issued by the local council to an individual who was engaging in anti-social behaviour on King Street, Bideford. The incident was recorded on CCTV, which helped the police to identify the person involved.

The Public Spaces Protection Order relates to a specified area in Bideford and encompasses Victoria Park, the Quay and town centre areas. Following a minor revision the cattle market site was also added to the area covered. Between January 2023 and January 2024, police logs showed that The Quay had the highest number of incident calls for any given location in Torridge. The High Street came in second and Mill Street was third. There were 145 ASB related calls to the police about incidents on the Quay during that period, 107 calls relating to ASB on the High Street and 93 in Mill Street. A total of 31 dispersal notices were issued during the previous PSPO period,

For more information about the Bideford PSPO visit the council’s website Councillors agree extension to Public Spaces Protection Order in Bideford Town Centre | Torridge District Council        

The public are reminded that if they wish to contact officers or report incidents face to face they can visit the Barnstaple Police Station Public Enquiry Office at Seven Brethren in person between 9.30am and 4pm Monday to Saturday. The office is closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays. You can also call 101 (for non-emergencies) or report via the Devon & Cornwall Police website https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk

Councillor Doug Bushby, Chair of Torridge District Council, added: “We want to make Bideford a safe and welcoming place for everyone. As councillors we have been lobbying the Police and Crime Commissioner for several years for funding for schemes and initiatives that will assist with the control of anti-social behaviour in the town and help ensure that our town centres are spaces where residents and visitors feel safe and protected.

“These community hubs are a valuable asset that will enable us to capitalise on the existing work that is already being done in partnership between Torridge District Council and Devon & Cornwall Police around public and community safety, reassurance and harm-reduction.”

To get updates on the local police team please follow Bideford Police on Facebook.

Pic belows shows PC Sam Appleby outside the new Bideford Community Engagement Hub