Alison Hernandez: We are turning the tide on antisocial behaviour

This time last year I launched Street Focus: Torquay – a concerted effort by police and partners to tackle the drug and alcohol misuse and antisocial behaviour which was making life a misery for residents and traders in part of the town.

Money from central Government to pay for additional hotspot patrols was put together with additional funding from my office and Torbay Council resources to address these issues from every angle.

Since then streets have been cleaned, graffiti removed, additional civil enforcement officers recruited and police have been more visible, present and intolerant of law breaking than they had been for years. They even set up a mobile police station which can be deployed to areas of concern. The impact was impressive - between July and September alone there were 32 dispersal notices issued and 162 directions to surrender alcohol in the town.

Progress has, at times, been frustrating and not everything has worked but the area is turning a corner. The consistency and tenacity of the approach taken means residents are aware of the work and starting to notice the real difference it has made. It is vital that we hold the line on crime in this area to the point where investors will have enough faith to put their money into the area.

This Friday I will present my draft budget for policing Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for 2025-26. It puts forward plans to use additional taxation from second homes towards expanding the Street Focus approach to other towns and cities where antisocial behaviour is rife. Respondents to my Your Safety, Your Say survey tell me ASB is the issue they would most like police and partners to tackle.

In the 12 months from April 2025 I will receive an additional £6m a year via the policing precept on second homes, as those who own them in our area pay double council tax on them for the first time. This windfall, and the fact we have one of the highest proportions of second homes in the country, presents an opportunity to invest in the types of policing that is right for residents and visitors.

I am confident that the public I represent think this is the right approach too, as 67 per cent of those questioned supported the principle of this windfall being used to fund more police on the streets.

Friday’s police and crime panel meeting, which is open to the press and public, will also consider my draft proposals for the precept – the element of council tax which goes towards policing.  My proposal is for a total precept increase of £13.70 for this year, equating to a council tax Band D of £288.20 and an increase of 4.99 per cent in the Band D equivalent for the police element of the council tax for the 2025-26 financial year. Currently Band D households pay £27.45 a month over 10 months (if paid monthly) this will rise to £28.82.

The second home windfall, combined with this increase to the monies raised locally, will enable us to mitigate against the rising cost of policing and challenges like the increase in national insurance which will have to be met. Other forces are making the difficult decision to cut police staff numbers and put more sworn officers in back office positions, that is not where I think they should be and it’s not where the public want them. These officers need to be on our streets where they can bear down on crime and antisocial behaviour.