Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of crime in (a) East Devon constituency and (b) Devon.

Across the country, communities are safer and the Government’s plan to cut crime and protect the public is working. Compared with 2010, people are now 60% less likely to have their home burgled and around 40% less likely to be victims of violent crime.

We are supporting Devon and Cornwall to reduce crime:

• During the Police Uplift Programme, Devon and Cornwall Police recruited 600 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 469 officers. As at 30 September 2023, there were 3,716 police officers in Devon and Cornwall, representing the highest number ever when compared to their pre-Police Uplift peak of 3,632 officers as at March 2010.
• Devon and Cornwall’s police funding settlement will be up to £429.4m in 2024/25, an increase of up to £29.1m when compared to 2023/24.
• Devon and Cornwall have been allocated £657,000 in FY 24/25 to deliver the Serious Violence Duty. The Serious Violence Duty requires a range of specified authorities to work collaboratively and put in place plans to prevent and reduce serious violence within their local communities.
• Devon and Cornwall have received £1m for Hotspot Response in FY 24/25 to tackle areas with high incidents of both anti-social behaviour and serious violence.

We continue to monitor all these measures to ensure they are having the impact on crime we all want to see.