Salcombe Regatta took place last week, with races, competitions and live music ensuring there was no lack of entertainment for locals and visitors in the town. 

The week-long event drew crowds from afar, which saw an increased police presence in Salcombe to ensure the safety of those enjoying the fun. 

Peter Shotton, Neighbourhood Team Leader for Kingsbridge and Salcombe said: “Our resourcing of the Regatta included a blend of public order/ASB  policing and community engagement.  General feedback from the event organisers and the community has been very positive.”

The move to have an increased police presence will come as no surprise to many Salcombe residents, as OP Flowton, an initiative to prevent anti-social behaviour in Salcombe this summer, continues. 

The operation has seen more high vis patrols in the town and the enforcing of public protection orders as part of plans to discourage large groups from drinking in the street, which has resulted in anti-social behaviour in recent years. 

Peter explained that is it too early yet to draw a decisive conclusion on the result of OP Flowton as it is still ongoing, but there are hopes that it will have a positive impact on the community, which will be discussed in meetings later this summer. 

He said: “We continue to provide police resources to Salcombe wherever demand allows.  There have been pockets of ASB and alcohol related incidents since Flowton began back in June, but these have been low in number and seriousness.  I’d like to think this is as a direct result of our efforts but obviously this is hard to measure.  We have enforced the PSPO’s but to date we have not had to formally seek to prosecute any breaches.”