Local Policing Team
Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams consist of Neighbourhood Team Leaders (police sergeants), Neighbourhood Beat Managers (police officers) and police community support officers (PCSOs) who are accountable to their local community. A key element of the role is to undertake community engagement to understand community concerns and update them on police activity in order to build confidence.
They will work in partnership with teams both within the police (for example alcohol licensing and youth intervention) and externally (local authorities, Environmental Health and registered social landlords) to problem solve community issues. The underlying principle of our neighbourhood policing model is to intervene at the earliest possible opportunity to prevent an escalation of crime and harm.
Crimes and priorities
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Priority:
Action taken:
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Priority:
Anti-Social Driving [SEATON]
We have received numerous concerning reports regarding anti-social driving in and around the area. This includes the use of faulty or excessively noisy exhausts. Main hot spots include the Underfleet and Harbour Road in Seaton and Temple Street and the Esplanade in Sidmouth.
The Neighbourhood Policing Team will be conducting regular patrols in the area and plan to carry out various operations in the coming months, dealing with any driving offences in and around the area. The team will target persistent offenders.
The local Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Special Constabulary will not hesitate to report offenders for prosecution and issue Section 59 Notices where appropriate - these are written warnings to drivers caught driving anti-socially and if they are caught driving in an anti-social manner again within 12 months their vehicle could be seized.
Action taken:
Update: 18 March 2025 - Update 2025 MARCH
Anti-Social Driving.
The SEATON Neighbourhood Beat managers and Neighbourhood PCSO have received numerous concerning reports regarding anti-social driving in and around the local area. This includes the use of faulty or excessively noisy exhausts. Main hot spots include the Underfleet, Tesco superstore on Harbour Road, Seaton Down hill, just off Holyford Goyle and Hillhead picnic area in Colyton which attracts noise, littering, drug use and alcohol consumption.
The Neighbourhood Policing Team will be conducting regular patrols in these areas. The local Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Special Constabulary will not hesitate to report offenders for prosecution and issue Section 59 Notices where appropriate.
The team are interested in any further information you may have around this subject so please get in touch with the team via 101.
Update: 26 March 2024 - Update 2024
Anti-social driving continues to be a top priority due to serious injury and fatal road traffic collision and reports from the public. This is especially prominent in Seaton where officers have been conducting patrols and engagement in areas such as Tesco, Harbour Road, and Seaton Down Hill. At these locations section 59 warnings have been issued which last a year and deters the driver from driving in an anti-social manner.
In Sidmouth there has been continued patrols of the Esplanade which is known for car meet ups that can attract anti-social driving, and engagement in rural pinic areas where there has been reports of littering and noise from cars.
Update: 26 March 2024 - Update 2023
There have been a number of operations targeting anti-social driving in the area. This has both been by utilising dedicated policing units and our partner agencies. Our most recent operation was between the 27th and 31st July resulted in over 30 motorists in just one day being caught driving over the speed limit.
Due to the proactive work that has been carried out in recent months we have noticed a decrease in reports to us and from speaking with members of the public they too are seeing an improvement with the issue that once took over the car park at Tesco’s in Seaton.
The Neighbourhood Team have also conducted operations with Traffic officers to target traffic offences on the A3052 which has been identified to be high harm route. From operations that have been conducted vehicles have been seized that are not road worthy, and drivers have been prosecuted for traffic offences including drink and drug driving.
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Anti-Social Behaviour [SIDMOUTH]
The Sidmouth Neighbourhood Team have had an increase of reports in anti-social behaviour (ASB) throughout the town, particularly in the Manstone Avenue area. Antisocial behaviour (ASB) is defined as 'behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person'. There are three main categories of ASB which depends on how many people are affected: personal ASB, nuisance ASB, and environmental ASB. This can include littering, noise, inconsiderate behaviour, nuisance calls, antisocial driving, abandoned vehicles, begging, and street drinking.
To reduce and target ASB in the community we work with partner agencies such as East Devon Council, local schools, local shops, pubs, and Highways.
Action taken:
Update: 26 March 2025 - Update 2025
Following reports from the public of anti-social behaviour, the Sidmouth Neighbourhood Team have been conducting patrols of Manstone Skatepark and local parks such as Connaught Gardens in Sidmouth. High visibility patrols, visits to the local youth clubs, and meetings with local schools, has led to offenders being identified and engaged with. Since then there has been a significant decreased in anti-social behaviour that has been reported. Sidmouth Neighbourhood Team are continuing to engage with the public, schools, and children around this, and want to promote the public to report these incidents.
Update: 26 March 2025 - Update 2023
During 2023, 'hotspot' areas of anti-social behaviour were identified and officers proactively patrols these areas during the targeted times where ASB is most prevalent. These areas include:
Seaton Primary School between the hours of 0815-0900 and 1515-1545.
Beer Primary School between the hours of 0815-0900 and 1515-1545.
Sidmouth Primary School (Woolbrook Road and Vicarage Road) between the hours of 1500-1600.
Sidmouth College between the hours of 1500-1600.
Sidbury Primary School between the hours of 1500-1600.
Newton Poppleford Primary School between the hours of 1500-1600.
The A3052 between the hours of 0700-0900 and 1700-1900.
Update: 28 November 2024 - Update 2024
The Sidmouth Neighbourhood Team are continuing to patrol 'hotspot' areas for anti-social behaviour, providing a visible presence to deter ASB.
Recently there have been targeted patrols and stop searches of youths in areas known for drug supply and ASB. The team have then followed up these reports and action has been taken with local schools in our monthly safeguarding meetings.
The team will continue to be visible throughout key areas were ASB has been reported and identified. We would urge the public to contact us with any concerns they may have to assist us in tackling this issue.