Torbay’s MP Kevin Foster, has welcomed news local and national uplift programmes mean Devon & Cornwall Police now has 686 additional Police Officers.
The breakdown of the figures are 470 additional officers as part of the national uplift programme to recruit 20,000 extra promised by the Conservatives at the last General Election in 2019, plus a further 216 recruited under Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez’s budget plans. This means Devon & Cornwall Police has a budget for 3,610 Police Officers, its highest number ever.
These additional Police resources are helping deliver the continuing work under OP Loki, a focussed programme of activity in our bay to tackle long-standing issues in our Town Centre. After a month aimed at issues in Torquay, the crackdown has now moved on to deal with issues such as shoplifting, drugs and anti-social behaviour in Paignton Town Centre.
The Paignton Police team have been posting regular updates on their Facebook Page of the results of the operation, including on Sunday when a search for a man wanted for assault resulted in the discovery of a sizeable cannabis growing operation.
Other results for the team have included dealing with people driving under the influence of drugs, locating someone wanted on warrant for failing to attend court and locating a high-risk domestic abuse suspect. You can follow updates on the Paignton Police Facebook Page by clicking here.
Commenting Kevin Foster MP said: “The news we have not only met but exceeded our pledge to recruit 20,000 additional police officers nationally is very welcome, especially when combined with the work being done by Alison in our region. The impact of these additional Police resources can already be seen on the streets of our bay with the success of Op Loki in cracking down on crime and anti-social behaviour in our Town Centres.”
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