Reports of crime in Torquay town centre, Devon, have fallen to their lowest level in more than a year. According to figures released by Devon and Cornwall Police, there were 113 incidents recorded in January 2026. This is a significant drop from the peak of 208 reports seen in August 2025.
While the overall number of incidents has decreased, violence and sexual offences remained the most common issue with 39 cases reported during the month. Other reported categories included anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, and drug-related incidents.
The fall in crime follows the first year of a project called Street Focus Torquay, which was set up by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Torbay Council. This scheme uses a mobile police station and a dedicated anti-social behaviour (ASB) lawyer to help deal with aggressive behaviour, which has reportedly dropped by 26 per cent.
Local businesses have also been offered free access to a crime reduction tool called UKPAC to help them deal with shoplifting. This support, provided by the office of Alison Hernandez, aims to make it easier for shops to report and manage retail crime.
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