A NEW policing team has carried out high-visibility patrols in Teignmouth as part of its first deployment.
The Neighbourhood Support Team, launched to target suspects, reduce offending and prevent crimes, spent last weekend in the Teignbridge resort which is a known trouble hotspot.
Police said the team visited Teignmouth to carry out high-visibility patrols around the town centre and beach areas to ‘disrupt and deter antisocial behaviour and criminal activity’.
Over the weekend, they ‘dispersed’ four people from the town centre for anti-social behaviour and causing a public nuisance, which meant they were not able to return to the area for 24 hours.
The team also collected ‘multiple intelligence reports’ from the community about crime in the area, which have been logged and will be followed up, according to the police spokesman.
Alcohol was seized from young people aged under 18 and one man was arrested for breaching his criminal behaviour order.
A police spokesman said: ‘We will continue to carry out regular high visibility patrols in and around Teignmouth, as both a reassurance to the public and a deterrent to those looking to commit crime.’
Over the last month, Teignmouth has seen an increase in trouble with up to 300 young people crowding in over weekends.
Large amounts of alcohol have been confiscated and large groups, which have been gathering on seafront areas, dispersed.
Local police have increased patrols in the town and sent letters to parents of secondary school children telling them not to bring them to Teignmouth on weekend evenings.