THE number of anti-social behaviour incidents reported to Devon and Cornwall Police have dropped in the last 12 months by 10 per cent.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez says that “significant efforts” are being made to tackle ASB.

In a report to the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel, she highlighted the use of legal powers such as community protection warnings (CPWs) and notices (CPNs) which were sending “a clear message that communities should not have to tolerate persistent antisocial behaviour”.

Over the past year targeted interventions have included 31 closure orders, youth civil injunctions, prosecutions for injunction breaches and more than 40 CPWs and CPNs.

In the 12 months to May 2026, there was a 10.2 per cent reduction in ASB incidents reported to Devon and Cornwall Police, falling from 26,695 incidents to 23,969.

Targeted hotspot policing patrols in 15 locations, Street Focus initiatives and community safety partnerships have been used to try and tackle ASB in towns and city centres.

“Hotspot policing” was supported with £2 million of Home Office funding from 2024-2026 with a further investment of £300,000 from the commissioner’s office but the funding ended in April, with hotspot policing incorporated into “business as usual”.

The funding also “propped up” the successful street marshals scheme.

Concerns were raised by members of the police and crime panel over where the funding for the initiative would come from in the future.

Ms Hernandez’s office has funded the scheme until the end of the summer to the tune of £150,000 in 15 towns and cities to cover the population growth from tourism.

She warned that funding would come to an end in September and asked that the panel, made up of councillors from Devon and Cornwall, champion the initiative to central government.