FED-UP locals in the picturesque port city say that the local police are a ‘myth on a stick’ and that the increasing crime ‘scares’ them to go out at night.
Residents in the historic North Devon town of Bideford say they have ‘given up’ on contacting the local police after their calls to the non-emergency 101 number went unanswered.
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The port city is a picture postcard during the dayCredit: Neil Hope
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But anti-social behavior has blighted the town centreCredit: Neil Hope
At first glance the small town looks perfect, with the River Torridge running through it, historic buildings, cobbled streets and lush green parks, as well as the Victorian ‘Pannier’ Market.
But dig a little deeper and you’ll see that Bideford’s low crime statistics don’t reflect the experiences of frustrated locals.
Everyday crime problems including street fighting, drug use, drug paraphernalia being left on the street and in public toilets, as well as anti-social behavior and shoplifting.
The problem is so serious that Torridge Town Council’s licensing committee met last month to discuss the issues after they were raised by taxi drivers.
One local, Tracy Rimington, 47, said: “There is a problem with drunks and drug addicts hanging around Bideford, even during the day, but the police don’t really do much about it. Sometimes it makes me feel quite threatened.
“I wouldn’t go out at night because I’m afraid. Gangs of young people also hang out there because they have nothing to do here, and there is also a lot of shoplifting. I have older children myself, but I know where they are in the evening.
“I’ve lived here most of my life, but I haven’t noticed that I’m doing too much drugs or alcohol compared to now.
“This is a beautiful area, the parks and the river are beautiful, but the police are not doing enough to tackle the problems we have. They need to know what’s going on, especially in Jubilarni trg because cameras are installed there.
“I think Bideford could attract more tourists if only the problems were solved.”
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Tracy Remington says gangs of young people hang around at night Credit: Neil Hope
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Locals think the crackdown would encourage tourists Credit: Neil Hope
Drug use is widespread
County lines – where drug dealers from big cities use young runners to transport drugs into rural areas – are on the rise in Devon and Cornwall, with a recent police crackdown leading to 43 arrests in March.
Earlier this month, Devon and Cornwall Police relaunched Operation Scorpion, urging local residents to come forward and report any drug-related activity as part of a regional campaign to crack down on county gangs.
Local pub landlady Shirley Seatherton, 65, said: “I’ve seen people drinking on the waterfront at 8am, groups of four to five usually, sitting on benches.
“There is a lot of drug use in the city, I obviously don’t tolerate it in the pub, but it happens on the waterfront. They fantasize and dazzle, mostly it happens on Saturdays, they argue and insult. It’s diabolical.”
Antisocial hotspot
Jubilee Square, a small square with wooden benches and a central tree, is located a few hundred meters from the city council office and across the waterfront, where there are public toilets.
Along the main road through town, surrounded by shops and offices, the small area is a magnet for street drunks and drug addicts who have nowhere to go.
Dierdre Connis, 73, works for Torridge Volunteer Cars, in an office overlooking the square.
She said: “Sometimes Jubilee Square is quiet, except when groups of mostly men but sometimes women gather there.
“They can be quite loud and looking from above I have the impression that they are either drunk or on some kind of medication. I also saw them insulting each other.
“I don’t mind these people hanging around the square too much, because I think I’m particularly stubborn, but there is a lady I used to work with who was afraid to go to and from the office. She felt intimidated.”
Another anonymous resident added: “The increase in alcohol and drugs has been very noticeable in the last few years – if it can happen here, it seems like it can happen anywhere.”
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Jubilee Square is the center of the problemCredit: Neil Hope
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Landlady Shirley says drug use is ‘diabolical’Credit: Neil Hope
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Graffiti along the steps in the city centerCredit: Neil Hope
Fights and petty crime
Some local businessmen declined to be named for fear of reprisals. One told us that she witnessed a fight in the square, while another said: “There is a constant fight in this area, I see fights and anti-social behavior every day, but I have a business that I run and I don’t want my windows to be broken.”
The toilets are now closed after 6pm to try to deter people from using them for drug use after local taxi drivers at a nearby rank raised the issue of anti-social behavior with the council.
Leo Maunder (34) has worked as a taxi driver in Bideford since 2009.
“Bideford definitely has problems with drunks and drug addicts. In the summer they gather around the city center, and in the winter they move to the toilets where there is a shelter. There is usually a lot of shouting and fighting between them.
“In the last ten years, I’ve seen it get worse. There is also a lot of petty crime and theft in the area because young people have nothing to do.
“The police are trying their best to get them to move on, but there is nothing they can do to stop them coming back. They just don’t have enough power to solve the problem.”
Cllr Stephen Harding told last month’s committee meeting that his daughter’s car had been broken into but she had given up reporting it because 101 ‘rang and rang’ and there was no one at the police station.
He said: “PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) are a myth in the sticks, they don’t come to our meetings, I’m not happy with the police, they’re not worth the money.”
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Toilets are now closed at night to prevent drug takingCredit: Neil Hope
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A large quantity of drugs and cash was seized from a car after police failed to stop it in Bideford in 2021 Credit: North and West Devon Police
And Cllr Philip Pennington said he hadn’t been in Bideford at night for eight years because of street fights.
“The last time I came was for my wife’s 60th birthday and there was a fight all the way down Cooper Street. The night economy needs to be addressed because I don’t come here with so much anti-social behaviour [ASB] it continues.
“We need to ask the police and the partnership what’s going on with Bideford because it’s not a place you want to go after 6pm.”
The committee heard how Bideford lost Safer Streets funding for extra police patrols because its crime statistics were not high enough.
But nearby Barnstaple secured funding and has since seen a 30 per cent reduction in similar anti-social behavior problems.
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Locals say the police are not solving this problemCredit: Neil Hope
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Leo Maunder says problem behavior has worsened over ten years Credit: Neil Hope
Superintendent Toby Davies, local area commander for North and West Devon, will discuss the issues with councilors at the Community Safety Partnership meeting on November 9.
Local Police Chief Inspector Graham Thomas told The Sun: “Tackling anti-social behaviour [ASB] is an important task in maintaining the overall safety and well-being of the community and we recognize that the police have a role to play in this, especially when criminal activity occurs.
“Although overall crime in Bideford has fallen, we are not complacent and we are aware that in some areas, such as Jubilee Square, there are problems with drugs and alcohol and related disorder and ASB arising from substance misuse.
“This has a direct impact and contribution to ASB, and while we have arrested and prosecuted persistent offenders, we also work in tandem with organizations such as help services and community support groups to tackle the root causes of this unacceptable behaviour.
“Councils also have a key role to play in helping local areas become safe places to live and Torridge Borough Council has brought in a Public Spaces Protection Order [PSPO] in Bideford, which includes Jubilee Square.
“My local policing team regularly patrols the area in line with their targeted patrol plans and we are also exploring options with Torridge Borough Council to create a community policing hub in Jubilee Square.
“We would always encourage the public to report incidents to the police, which directly affects our patrolling plans. People experiencing problems with the 101 service are asked to report non-emergency incidents to the police via our website at devon-cornwall.police.uk.”
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The little white town is a lovely Devon haven Credit: Neil Hope
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education