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Policing

Reporting Antisocial Behaviour

A number of residents have reported to the council that they have witnessed incidents of antisocial behaviour in the town centre recently. If you experience any issues you are concerned about, we have been advised by the police and Torridge District Council that you should use the following reporting tools:

CRIME:

NON-EMERGENCY CRIME: E.g. assault, anti-social behaviour, damage, harassment, or theft can be reported:

· By calling 101

· Online via the online crime reporting form or by emailing 101 at: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

Crime can also be reported ANONYMOUSLY to CrimeStoppers:

· By calling: 0800 555 111 · Online at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/

In an EMERGENCY, always dial 999

LICENSING:

Concerns with licensing issues can be reported directly to Torridge District Council:

· By calling 01237 428700 and asking to be put through to the licensing officer · By email: [email protected] · Online at: https://www.torridge.gov.uk/licensing-complaints

How to contact the police in a non-emergency

If you need to contact the police, and it’s not an emergency then follow these simple steps to make sure you get the help you need: 

  1. Are you wanting to report a breach of Covid 19 restrictions?
    If you are reporting a breach of restrictions then you can do this using the national reporting form on the Police.uk website – www.police.uk
  2. AskNED – the non-emergency directory
    Need to ask a question but not sure who to ask for help, then AskNED – dc.police.uk/AskNED  
  3. Go online – dc.police.uk On the force website you can find the answers to many of the questions people ask when calling the police plus lots of helpful information and advice.
  4. Report Crime Online If you need to report a crime or tell the police something, then why not report online using WebChat or the Crime Reporting Form.  Alternatively, you can email [email protected]
  5. Call – 101 Non-emergency number

Remember in an emergency, always call 999.

North Devon Councillor Advocate Scheme: Devon and Cornwall Police

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has approached the Town Council and asked for a Councillor to be nominated as a representative on their Councillor Advocate Scheme. The scheme currently has around 150 nominated advocates.

The Councillor Advocate Scheme is just one element of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) Police and Crime Plan and aims to better connect the police, the public and the commissioner.

The advocate will receive regular updates and briefings as well as opportunities to have access to;

  • a quarterly meeting with the police at a local level,
  • councillor advocate themed seminars each year
  • a named contact within the commissioner’s office
  • police campaign materials (e.g. posters and leaflets)

We hope this role will help increase communication between the Town Council and the Police Service and be of benefit to the wider community.  The Town Council’s Advocate is Cllr Di Davey.

Contacting your Local Policing Team

If you have a non-urgent matter that you wish to bring to the attention of your Local Policing Team, the easiest way of contacting them is as follows :

Go to this Devon and Cornwall Police web-page here – https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/your-area/

On that page go to the Find your Local Policing Team box.

Fill in either the relevant location or post-code, or use the drop down menu to select the appropriate Neighbourhood.

Click the Search button.

Details of the Local Policing Team will then be displayed, along with a box allowing anyone to send a message to that team.  

Neighbourhood Watch

A local neighbourhood watch is a group of like-minded neighbours getting together to help reduce crime and make their community safer.

The aims of Neighbourhood Watch are:

To prevent crime by improving security, increasing vigilance and maintaining a caring community.

To assist the police in detecting crime by encouraging prompt reporting of criminal or suspicious activity.

To reduce undue fear of crime by providing accurate information about risks and by promoting a sense of security and community spirit.

To improve communication between police and the community.

How Neighbourhood Watch works

Schemes are run by their members and led by a resident volunteer co-ordinator, whose job it is to get people working together and make sure things get done.

The co-ordinator liaises with the police and acts as a voice for the community. Some schemes also have a committee that meets regularly to plan which problems to target and what actions to take.

Schemes are supported by the police, the local authority and their local Neighbourhood Watch associations.

Neighbourhood Watch schemes vary in size – they can be large, covering most of the houses on an estate, or they may involve just a few houses.

To find your local scheme please visit https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/get-involved/find-my-local-neighbourhood-watch/find-my-local-scheme

Devon and Cornwall Community Watch Association

‘Protecting our homes and our possessions is our responsibility. We are responsible for making sure we and our family are safe. Neighbourhood Watch can give us the knowledge and skills to be aware of, and avoid, the dangers. Being part of the problem solving process is very satisfying. That is why for me 20 years on I am still as passionate about Neighbourhood Watch as I was when I started.’

Julie Dowton

Contact details: