Councillors, police and marshals speak about Hotspot Policing in Tiverton (OPCC)

Watch Councillors, police and marshals speak about Hotspot Policing in Tiverton (OPCC) - Tindle News on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Hotspot policing, at its core, is about focusing resources into areas of higher levels of crime and antisocial behaviour.

00:08There are a couple of hotspots in the town where we have antisocial behaviour.

00:11It might be street drinking, it might be sometimes drug use, or just shouting at people and being antisocial.

00:17Certainly the traders in the town have had issues with a certain element of people who come in and cause some disruption

00:25with antisocial behaviour, shoplifting, is an issue as well.

00:31So we do see some nuisance behaviour in the town centres, which is reflected probably across Devon and Cornwall.

00:38So we're not dissimilar to other sized market towns.

00:41So we work with Devon and Cornwall Police.

00:44They identify their own, what they would call, hotspots.

00:49Once we've established those hotspots, that area, we then establish a patrol route that encompasses those

00:54as well as the rest of the town.

00:57And then our teams work throughout the day, you know, on a rotation throughout the week as well,

01:02patrolling the town and making sure that we are visible and seen in those hotspot areas.

01:07So for Tiviton, what that will mean is you'll see street marshals supported by local police officers

01:12and community support officers patrolling the streets, engaging with businesses, engaging with the public.

01:18And it also will involve problem solving.

01:21So dealing with the root causes of the issue as well.

01:23So understanding what is causing this and can we actually design this out?

01:27Can we do something about it to make sure it doesn't continue?

01:30So we make a point of engaging very closely with the local community,

01:33whether that be businesses, members of the public, visitors to the town.

01:38You know, we walk around in very visible outfits.

01:41We encourage people to approach us.

01:44You know, we can answer questions they have on what we're doing, why we're there, what powers we have.

01:49If they have got any intelligence to report to us on low-level crime and ASB,

01:53that we can then deal with ourselves as we can.

01:56If not, then we can advise them on the best routes of how to report that.

02:00So my advice to the public is approach them, have a chat with them,

02:03as it would be for my team as well.

02:05If you see my team out with them, of course, come on over, have a conversation.

02:07Well, the main benefit will be the reassurance from having the public visibility

02:12of having these marshals and the police as well.

02:15It will also, I think, be good news for visitors to the town.

02:18It will help them feel safer.

02:21And to see that uniformed presence, I think, is always welcomed.