Ilfracombe police station enquiry office to reopen

The enquiry desk at Ilfracombe Police Station is set to reopen in the next 12 months, it has been revealed. The station is one of six across Devon & Cornwall to have enquiry desks reopened as part of a project by Police & Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.

A total of 17 front desks are being reopened under the project, taking the total number of PEOs across the force area to 26. The force was among those to close ‘front desks’ during public sector cuts following the 2009 financial crisis. Across Devon and Cornwall 11 were shut their doors to the public in 2014, although the stations remained in use as operational bases.

However, the Commissioner has made connectivity with the public a cornerstone of her Police and Crime Plans, arguing that face to face contact with the public helps victims and provides a long-term solution to rebuilding confidence in policing. So far £1.5m has been earmarked for investment in reopening public enquiry offices.

Ms Hernandez said: “Thanks to investment from our residents Devon and Cornwall Police now has record police officer numbers. Having accessible police stations close to our communities is the missing part of the jigsaw in providing the neighbourhood model of policing that the Chief Constable and I support. Although we experience some of the lowest crime levels in the country, drugs and antisocial behaviour are considerable issues for our communities. We want people to feel confident in telling us about the problems and challenges they experience before these issues escalate so preventative action can be taken. Already crimes including non-recent historic offences have been reported at one of our reopened police enquiry desks, demonstrating that some people prefer talking to an officer in confidence and in person.”

The station enquiry office will be accessible to the public six days a week. You can find more information by visiting the Devon & Cornwall Police website.