Devon and Cornwall Police have seen a “deeply concerning” rise in calls for assistance for domestic abuse incidents.

From 2023 to 2024, Devon and Cornwall Police have seen an increase of 22,524 calls to 24,276 calls flagged as domestic abuse related.

Domestic abuse calls where a stalking offence was recorded also hiked between 2023 and 2024 with 376 more calls to the force.

Debbie Beadle, CEO of charity Fearfree, said: “The rise in domestic abuse reports across Devon and Cornwall is deeply concerning. Behind each call is a person, often isolated and frightened, and it is vital that they receive the support they need to protect them from harm and rebuild their lives. It is important to remember that this increase places additional pressure on already stretched frontline services. Without increased funding, support services risk becoming overwhelmed and help could be harder to access.

Debbie highlighted that more must be done to prevent domestic abuse happening in the first place.

She continued: “That means tackling the root causes, such as gender inequality or a lack of education around healthy relationships. It also means investing in preventative work in schools, communities and workplaces, and ensuring that professionals like teachers and police officers are equipped to spot the warning signs.”

Injury crimes related to domestic abuse calls increased from 2,350 in 2023 to 2,515 in 2024.

As of November 2024, there were 220 officers within domestic abuse roles at Devon and Cornwall Police.

Over half of the officers (153) hold domestic abuse investigator roles, meaning they are specially trained in investigation duties to identify the perpetrators of domestic abuse and associated offences.

For domestic abuse support in Devon, contact FearFree’s helpline at 01225 775276 (9am-5pm) or 999 in an emergency.