Torquay anti-social behaviour operation hailed a success as it moves to Paignton

Following the success of the first phase of Operation Loki in Torquay, Devon & Cornwall Police have extended the South Devon side of the operation into Paignton, allocating additional resources to tackle anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

Two weeks of additional resource will run from 17th – 30th April, as well as increased patrols to speak to local businesses and residents to better understand their concerns.

Residents in Torquay have praised the impact of Operation Loki in Torquay since it began on 20th March. The four-week long period of intensification and engagement resulted in 41 arrests and 141 submissions of intelligence, mainly centred around shoplifting, drugs and public order offences. Engagement with local communities was high, with over 4000 conversations with members of the public spoken to over the four weeks, ranging from visits to local businesses to police surgeries and  general chats in the street, all of which will be used to inform decisions on neighbourhood policing in the future.

Part of the engagement included a pop-up police station in the heart of Torquay town centre on Thursday 13th April on Union Street. Officers and cadets were on hand in a mobile drop-in centre to give advice on crime prevention, listen to feedback and give children on Easter break the chance to try their hand at fingerprinting.

The Torquay side of Operation Loki ended with a Moped Marking Event at Lymington Road Car Park on Saturday 15th April. Moped owners were invited to have their bikes security marked with SelectaDNA forensic property markers, a useful tool in deterring potential thieves. The unique barcodes enable property to be identified at the scene of a crime in a matter of seconds, allowing owners to be united with missing bikes and ensuring that thieves can't get away with possessing stolen property when confronted.

Acting Chief Superintendent Ed Wright, South Devon Commander - “Now that phase one of Operation Loki has come to an end in Torquay, we will evaluate and reflect on the results and look to see how we can be more effective and visible with our resources based within the town and across South Devon.  We will also be engaging with the Local Authority and Public Health to ensure that there is a joined up multi-agency approach to solving these community problems long term. We really appreciate the support we have had from the public and will continue to listen to the concerns of our communities.”