PEOPLE will have the chance to find out more about new joint fire and police service officers at a series of events in towns across Devon, including Crediton.

Community Responders are retained firefighters with full police powers who can patrol as police officers when not carrying out fire service duties.

The joint initiative between the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner, Devon and Cornwall Police and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service will see Community Responders placed in Cullompton, Crediton, Totnes, Dartmouth, Honiton, Okehampton and Newton Abbot.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has organised a series of events at which members of the public can find out more about the new roles.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: “Whenever I’m speaking to residents I find we all still have a desire to see bobbies on the beat in our communities, one on every street corner who knows everyone.

“Our Community Responders are an affordable way to achieve this ambition.

“They are able to patrol as police officers, remaining within five minutes’ travel distance of their fire station, so that if required they can report for duty promptly.

“This additional resource has been created through innovation and collaboration, principles which sit at the heart of my police and crime plan, and complement the uplift of 126 additional police officers which have been added to force strength during my tenure.”

The Community Responders are being provided with electric bicycles which mean they can patrol a wider area and still be within five minutes of their home station.

The Crediton public engagement event will take place between 11am and 2pm at the Crediton Morrisons store in Mill Street, Crediton on Tuesday, January 21.

Other local consultation events will take place at Tesco, Cullompton on January 20 and at Waitrose, Okehampton, on January 27, also between 11am and 2pm.