Training for councillors to help tackle crime

Police told a meeting the scheme would be reinstated in 2024

Police are to bring back training sessions for councillors to help them tackle crime after funding cuts earlier this year.

Police in North Devon have said they will bring back training for Torridge district councillors to help them recognise signs of county lines drugs operations and modern slavery.

Supt Toby Davies, who covers North and West Devon, said at a meeting of North Devon and Torridge community safety partnership that the scheme would be brought back in 2024.

He added the partnership between Torridge and North Devon councils and the local police had been the most successful in providing intelligence to stop county lines activity.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said that he told the meeting there was a range of resources available to deliver the training, and in the next two weeks the two councils’ customer services staff and forward-facing staff would be getting help from the police in dealing with difficult customers.

Ms Cheryl Cottle Hunkin, Liberal Democrat councillor for Torridge, Shebbear and Langtree said it was especially useful for new councillors.