Budleigh policing is a two-way relationship

Devon and Cornwall police chief Stephen Otter promoted ‘two-way’ policing when he spoke to Budleigh Salterton residents at the annual parish meeting.

Police chief Stephen Otter is encouraging Budleigh Salterton residents to become the ears and eyes of the community to keep crime levels low.

Speaking at the town council’s annual parish meeting on Monday, the Chief Constable said the town could become a collective Neighbourhood Watch scheme if residents used Devon and Cornwall police’s community messaging service.

He said community policing had become a two-way service, with the police helping the public and vice-versa.

Mr Otter said: “If the whole of Budleigh Salterton was on community messaging, you can see where things are happening and you become a whole Budleigh Salterton Neighbourhood Watch.

“We rely on people living in rural towns or villages to tell us what’s happening. You help us and we help you.

“When it works well, it works well. It is a two-way relationship.

“You are never going to have large numbers of officers in a rural community.”