New team should make Exeter's city centre safer

There’s a new Community Safety Team in Exeter to tackle antisocial behaviour (ASB).

The team, launched earlier this month, is patrolling areas identified as hotspots, providing a visible presence to deter unwanted activity as well as providing reassurance to both residents and businesses.

The patrols represent a multi-agency approach to improving community safety and have been made possible by collective investment from InExeter, the city’s business improvement district, and Exeter City Council.

Collaboration between the CCTV control room, Exeter’s neighbourhood policing team, Exeter Business Against Crime (EBAC), and the new Community Safety Team will make a real difference to the city centre.

Cllr Laura Wright, Deputy Leader of Exeter City Council, said: “Introducing a dedicated Community Safety Team for Exeter city centre is a great initiative, and I am so pleased that we have been able to work with our partners InExeter and Devon & Cornwall Police to make this happen.

“Exeter is a fantastic place to live and to visit, and our city centre is a thriving and creative space. But issues such as antisocial behaviour do arise and can impact the experience of other residents and people visiting Exeter. The new team will be supporting our partners in addressing this issue and also helping to connect our policing team, our businesses, and members of the public in keeping Exeter city Center a great place to be in.

“It is great news that we now have a dedicated team that is committed to community safety, working alongside the neighbourhood police teams and the Community Safety Partnership. I’m sure that their very visible presence in the city centre will help to ensure that everyone can continue to enjoy all that Exeter has to offer while feeling safe and secure at all times.”

While out on patrol, the Community Safety Team is actively engaging with the public to resolve issues and build relationships. They will also enforce the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), targeting street drinking, aggressive begging, and other ASB.

"Whether you live in, work in, or visit Exeter, feeling safe is important to all of us," said Nicola Wheeler, CEO at InExeter. "This new partnership is a significant step toward enhancing safety and boosting the vitality of our city. By collaborating with other agencies and aligning resources, we aim to create a more welcoming environment for visitors and shoppers, ultimately supporting local businesses and promoting economic growth."

Additional funding has been secured by Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez to support a larger hotspot policing initiative across Devon and Cornwall.

This initiative includes increased police patrols working in conjunction with the Community Safety Team.

Since starting in May, over 300 hours of hotspot police patrols have resulted in the attendance of 70 ASB incidents and 18 arrests in Exeter.

The patrols also enable preventative work and impactful public engagement.

Inspector Nathan Johnson, who heads up Exeter’s neighbourhood policing team, said: “The introduction of a Community Safety Team is a real gamechanger for Exeter. They’ll be working alongside the police, and we’ll be working together to reduce antisocial behaviour and violent street crime. The thought that there is a dedicated Community Safety Team working in Exeter to enforce the Public Spaces Protection Order and other issues is really exciting for me.”

The Commissioner secured £1 million in Home Office funding for hotspot policing, which forms part of a wider Street Focus project.

The funding is shared across multiple locations in 13 towns and cities, including Exeter.

A further £200,000 in funding from the Commissioner will help to maximise the number of partner patrols across Devon and Cornwall.