A CRIME wave has hit Exmouth with reported incidents up in the past three months except for the town centre, where people feel safer.

A CRIME wave has hit Exmouth with reported incidents up in the past three months - except for the town centre, where people feel safer.Figures show that there has been an average increase in crime of 18 per cent in Halsdon, Withycombe Raleigh and Brixington, and Littleham.Crime in Exmouth Town has decreased by nearly 20 per cent though, with the number of robberies and vehicle crime down.The figures were obtained from the new crime maps where the levels are compared to the rest of Devon and Cornwall.Overall, Exmouth's crime rate remains average - and police said crime had been cut by a quarter in the past year.However, violence in the town centre is higher than the county's normal with 24 incidents last month. A 36-year-old man who was held at knifepoint in the town centre earlier this year thanks the increase in police officers for his safety.He said: "I still feel Exmouth is a safe town."I was really thankful I only had to run a couple of hundred metres before I saw a police officer and was safe."Police said that, although it looked like crime levels were up, this was for an area with a relatively low level of crime to begin with.PC Martin Young said: "The force in Exmouth is trying to build bridges with the community, so people have been more willing to report crimes because of this trust - this way we can target the hot spots."A number of police initiatives have been rolled out in the town to combat the increasing levels of crime.In Littleham Estate, with the increase in the number of pedal cycles stolen from homes, the police have been raising awareness to warn people to secure their bikes when left.Councillor Ken Harper, who works with the police to keep Littleham safe, said: "I think there are a lot of youngsters that are probably causing the problem - I have noticed a lot of the homes in Nelson Way now have locks on their gates to prevent burglaries."Exmouth Town: Compared to this time last year, crime in the area has decreased by 17.7 per cent; with burglary down by 25 per cent and vehicle crime down by 86.7 per cent but violence up by 1.3 per cent.Exmouth Halsdon: Compared to this time last year crime has increased by 30 per cent; burglary is down by 57 per cent, violence is up by 125 per cent.The next Neighbourhood Watch meeting will be held at Exmouth Pavilion on Wednesday, April 29. For more information email Exmouth@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.ukExmouth Withycombe Raleigh and Brixington; Compared to this time last year, crime has increased by 15 per cent; although burglary is down by 50 per cent, vehicle crime is up by 45 per cent and violence is up.Exmouth Littleham: Compared to this time last year, crime has increased by nearly 10 per cent; burglary is up by 17 per cent and violence is up by 38 per cent, anti-social behaviour is down.