Anti-social behaviour orders extended

Police want to stamp out disorder in Tavistock and Okehampton

Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) have been extended to cover the whole of Tavistock and Okehampton in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour (ASB) and street drinkling.

A previous order in Tavistock Meadows introduced in 2021 had displaced problems to other parts of the town.

Neighbourhood police sergeant for West Devon Tom Ottley said he wanted to deliver “a consistent policing approach to ASB” across the towns.

Officers will have the power to confiscate alcohol from people being a nuisance. The order also covers urinating or defecating in public and aggressive begging.

The aim is to stop situations escalating.

Both towns have on average around 200 ASB incidents a year and have recently experienced a spike and a return to pre-covid levels.

Police have other powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour, but PSPOs are said to be the most effective way of dealing with it.

A public consultation about the order by West Devon Borough Council, which administers the order, produced 87 responses, with the majority in support.

Signs have been installed in Tavistock and Okehampton.

Sgt Ottley is keen to stress it is not a ban on alcohol and people enjoying themselves.

“If you are heading to the park with picnic and a bottle of wine, on the face of it that is very unlikely to become ASB, whereas if you have a group going out under the cover of darkness to drink excessive amounts of alcohol in the park, that looks different, and that’s where we will impact it.

“It won’t affect things like Tavistock Goose Fair or the licensed events. We have great events across the town each year, we won’t be targeting those things, that is not what it is aimed at.”

Sgt Ottley said ASB was a primary concern of the public when he joined West Devon Police two years ago.

He said he had enough officers to enforce the order across the two towns.

“It’s a very very good piece of legislation, in terms of turning off the tap of ASB before the bath overfills as it takes relatively little paper work and low effort.

“The idea is keep those officers on the streets and deal with it at early stage where we can get rid of alcohol that is fuelling the problems or disperse the individuals responsible before it becomes a fight or a broken window.”

“Making an arrest, investigating a crime and the seizure of exhibits takes time but the point here is that prevention is better than cure – that is the thinking behind this.”

Although council officers can also enforce PCSOs, Sgt Ottley said police would do “the lion’s share” with council enforcement officers dealing with other PCSOs designed to stop dog fouling.

Mayor of Tavistock Steve Hipsey said he hoped the order would also stop litter in the town as well as ASB.

When asked if it seeing all the PSPO signs around the town might deter visitors he said: “I don’t think so at all. It’s a matter of keeping down the ASB so people can enjoy themselves without worrying about it.”