THE crime rate in Bude has seen a significant reduction in the last year with recorded crime falling by 9.2%, the Bude-Stratton towns annual meeting heard on Thursday, April 28.

The Launceston Sector covers 500 square miles and takes in four areas. Those areas are, Launceston, Bude, Camelford and Callington and their smaller parishes in the surrounding areas such as Egloskerry, Gunnislake, Week St Mary and Boscastle.

The Crime Performance year started on April 1, 2015 and covered up until March 31, 2016. It ranges from more serious crime like assault down to lesser theft offences.

Recorded crimes are those offences the government view as the most critical offences, which affect the quality of life in a community.

The ‘recorded crime’ for the Launceston sector saw a fall of 9.2% from the same period the previous year.

The recorded crime for Bude Town and Rural in the policing year 2014/15 was 502 incidents. There has been a drop in recorded crime in this year to 456 — this amounts to a 9.5% reduction from the previous year.

This is one of the leading performance results within the Devon and Cornwall Police. Positive outcomes in Bude, which are one’s in which the police have detected, stood at 29.5% on March 31, 2016.

At the town meeting, PC Stephen South said: “Although this is slightly down on last year, this can be explained by certain crimes now being recorded but not investigated.

“For example, petrol station drive offs are recorded but the service stations are having to recover the loss through the civil route.

“The exceptions are when there are aggravating circumstances e.g. a deliberate attempt to hide the number plate.

“We have to be more efficient with our limited resources and target them towards those with the greatest need.”

There were a total of 1,783 incidents recorded this year in Bude Town and rural areas — which is a 6.9% reduction in Bude town and a 2% drop for Bude rural compared to last years 1887 recorded incidents.

765 incidents were closed as public safety with a large number of these falling under the banner of ‘protecting and safeguarding of people especially the vulnerable’.

A further 325 were recorded and closed as ASB (Anti Social Behaviour). During the summer months ASB in Bude was down by 3.5% — which was reported to the Bude-Stratton Town Council in October 2015.

The overall recorded ASB levels in Bude town have seen a reduction in 9.7% from the last year.

The police team in Bude held a public survey on their Facebook page recently entitled ‘Where is your child?’

The public survey data asked the question ‘what do you see as the major crime and ASB problems in your area?’

Within East Cornwall the top four main concerns were: drunk or rowdy behaviour; teenagers hanging around in the street; vandalism/graffiti or other damage to property and vehicles; under age teenage drinking.

PC South responded in his report to the Town Meeting: “This spring/summer, along with the new CCTV camera’s in Bude, we will be conducting robust visible patrols dealing with ‘young persons and alcohol’.

“We have a number of initiatives and we will be working with licensed premises using existing legislation if necessary but also to provide opportunities for positive engagement and education to the young people in Bude.

“To this end, we have been working with Bude-Sratton town council in exploring the possibility of providing a ‘Teen Shelter’ in Bude Town for the young people to use as a outdoor meeting place and, if this is agreed, the town council will be in consultation with children from this area.

“We have also worked with the town council to link up their council premises to the town’s CCTV system which will provide additional cover to these premises. We also work closely with the pubs and clubs in Bude and a ‘Pub watch’ scheme operates to ban individuals who cause ASB and or disorder from these premises.

“A topic that has come up in the past from BSTC is that of a street alcohol ban in Bude, commonly known as ‘Alcohol Free Zones.’ We are exploring new legislation, regarding Public Safety protection Orders. These are due to replace designated places order.

“Bude at present does not have a designated places order, although Launceston does. This consultation is in its early stages and no decision has been made.”