Police targeting crime hotspots with patrols

Ch Insp Tim Evans has said 15 minutes is enough time to deter crime

Devon and Cornwall Police have been increasing the visibility of officers in crime hotspots in a bid to deter crime.

Patrols to tackle violence and anti-social behaviour (ASB) are being conducted for 15 minutes once every three days in known problem areas.

The £1m cost of the hotspot policing trial was provided by the Home Office with the money mainly spent on overtime.

Ch Insp Tim Evans, who is leading the project, said the highly visible patrols and "enhanced problem solving" could be delivered as "business as usual" from April when the trial ends.

'Finesse to it'

He added: "Fifteen minutes doesn't seem very long but evidence suggests that is the amount of time you need to be present for most people in that geographical area to see you.

"It seems like an easy process, foot patrol in its basic form, but there is a finesse to it.

"We will use crime data and mapping and into next year we can share this with other towns across our geography.

"This will become business as usual in Devon and Cornwall then."

Update 24 October 2024: This story has been updated to make the timeline of the trial clear.