PARISHES in Okehampton are likely to see an increase in police presence if the new inspector at Okehampton Police Station Keith Perkin has his way.
High visibility policing is way up on the list of priorities for Insp Keith Perkin who has taken over the top job at Okehampton from Insp Andy Wagon.
With the station's recent increase in officers Insp Perkin is keen to dedicate more time to the parishes.
'I want to strengthen the responsibility of officers within parishes so they become more like community constables in the same way as PC Dave Woodland is in Okehampton town,' he said.
'This is a low crime area which gives us the opportunity to spend more time in the communities and identify problems at an early stage.'
With a stretch on police resources in the past, every bit of officers' time has been taken up responding to incidents but Insp Perkin is confident that with extra personnel he can improve those areas that have been neglected. More officers are earmarked for Okehampton over the next few months
The new inspector is also increasing staffing levels to four or five officers on duty on Friday and Saturday nights in Okehampton when incidents of disturbance are most likely to occur. This would leave adequate resources in the town if an arrest was made and individuals needed to be taken to custody in Exeter.
The police will be taking a tougher line on those who are unruly or disorderly and in the future people will be charged instead of being cautioned.
'We will be applying to the courts for exclusion orders which ban these people from licensed premises for up to two years,' said the inspector.
Having worked as a uniformed officer and within CID at Exeter, Torbay and Teignmouth, the new man at Okehampton feels he is
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