Expanded Community Safety Team to tackle anti-social behaviour

A permanent and expanded Community Safety Team is being launched to further reduce anti-social behaviour throughout the city.

The expanded team will lead on community safety across Exeter, including tackling anti-social behaviour in the city centre, as well as neighbourhoods and open spaces.

A budget of £335,390 has been agreed and eight new roles will be created – a Community Safety Partnership Manager, a Community Safety Team Supervisor and six Community Safety Team officers.

A report to full Council revealed that following a trial launch of the Community Safety Team in 2024, levels of anti-social behaviour and overall crime fell in the city centre.

The trial was funded by the city council, InExeter and the Police and Crime Commissioner, with InExeter continuing to contribute funding for the Community Safety Team for a further four years.

Community Safety officers support the police, using body-worn video cameras to gather evidence for any anti-social behaviour activity they encounter.

Incidents are called into the Control Room, allowing CCTV cameras to focus on the location. The police are called if the behaviour escalates and if illegal activity takes place.

Cllr Laura Wright, Deputy Leader and Lead Councillor for Community Safety and the City Centre, said establishing a permanent Community Safety Team was the latest in a series of measures taken by the city council to improve safety.

She said: “Exeter is a very safe and welcoming city, but people often highlight anti-social behaviour as a concern, and this is something we take very seriously. We’ve listened to the concerns of residents and local businesses and are acting on them.

“The council and its partners InExeter and the Exeter policing team have instigated important and effective projects to improve how people feel about safety in the city.

“These include our city council’s actions to increase the number of CCTV cameras and staffing within the Control Room, continuing the use of our Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and introducing the yellow Need Help? signs.

“The Community Safety Team has also made an important and visible difference, and I am so pleased that we are now able expand the team with extra funding from our Council to ensure they can continue their excellent work in tackling anti-social behaviour in the city.” 

The report to councillors said the Council established a pilot Community Safety Team in July 2024 in the city centre, specifically the area covered by the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), with four temporary posts.

The aim was to address crime and anti-social behaviour, and the Community Safety Team has made a significant impact on how safe people in the city centre. It is hoped this will be replicated across the rest of Exeter.

Comparing January to September 2025 to the same period in 2024, all recorded crime in the city centre reduced by 9.7%. For anti-social behaviour specifically, this reduced by 15.3% in the same period.

Since October 2024, 496 dispersal notices have been issued within the PSPO area by the team and the police, ranging from six to 24 hours.

The figures show that between 1 July 2024 and 30 November 2025:

• 5,936 foot patrol hours were delivered
• 17,434 interactions took place with members of the public
• 9,300 visits to businesses were made
• 730 incidents of anti-social behaviour were attended
• 168 items of intelligence were submitted to community intelligence systems
• 232 Community Safety Accreditation Scheme powers were exercised
• 30 safeguarding referrals were made
• 29 stray dogs were collected

Cllr Matt Vizard, Lead Councillor for Communities, said: “The great work carried out by our Community Safety Team has been well documented in the report, and I am delighted that the Labour-led city council has found the resources to continue and expand this alongside a range of other community safety initiatives.

“Exeter is a fantastic place to be, day and night, and a safe city. However, we are listening to our communities and recognise the challenges. We are working collaboratively with our partners to ensure that our city remains welcoming, inclusive and safe for everyone.”

The expansion of the Community Safety Team will enable officers to patrol parks and open spaces and neighbourhood shopping precincts to address anti-social behaviour concerns and is a response to evidence from the 2025 residents survey.

The team will continue to support the enforcement of the city centre and St Thomas PSPOs, and will now also patrol public parks, open spaces and neighbourhood shopping precincts across the city that suffer from anti-social behaviour.