"To be a police officer at a time of a global pandemic cannot be easy. Police officers have had to deal with a raft of new laws and requirements, many of which were incredibly difficult to enforce. However, they have performed their roles magnificently and I have been proud to be able to stand up in Parliament and praise them for their efforts during this difficult time.
I was particularly pleased to meet Inspector Brugge and Inspector Baker from Devon and Cornwall Police to discuss our local policing needs and to hear how the force is readying for the influx of visitors.
Devon and Cornwall Police are set to recruit 232 more frontline staff over the next year and they will be marrying new technology with traditional neighbourhood policing. Their efforts have been focused on disrupting criminal activity and actively reducing rural crime. Their record speaks for itself and last year Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly had the second-lowest rate of crime in England and Wales at 53.7 crimes per 1000 people.
However, complacency cannot set in and I have regular engagements with our Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez to ensure that our police officers have the support they need and that we remain vigilant against all potential crime."