Why Cornwall’s police trainers are back on patrol this summer

You might spot a few more officers around over the coming weeks, and some of them will be people who usually spend their days teaching rather than out on the street. Devon & Cornwall Police has reshuffled its ranks for the summer, moving experienced officers out of training roles and back onto the frontline as visitor numbers climb across the region.

A summer that never slows down

The force has drawn up a summer policing plan to keep communities safe through one of the busiest stretches of the year, when the population swells with holidaymakers and the calls for help rise with it.

The reason is in the numbers. Last year, between June and September, Devon & Cornwall Police saw a 15 per cent increase in urgent incidents. Across those four months, officers dealt with an average of 292 urgent incidents a day, against 255 a day through the rest of the year.

That is a lot of extra weight for Cornwall’s police to carry in the months when the county’s roads, beaches and towns are at their fullest.

Trainers back on the frontline

To meet the demand, officers who would normally be delivering training are being moved into frontline and other public-facing roles, each taking on a minimum of five shifts supporting operational work.

One of them is PC Craig Williams, who usually delivers public order training to frontline officers and has been temporarily switched to neighbourhood patrol duties in North Devon.

“Every summer we see a significant increase in demand as millions of people flock to Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for their holidays,” Craig said. “Our summer policing plan is a coordinated response to that demand, ensuring we have the right people in the right places at the right time.”

“By temporarily redeploying experienced officers into operational roles, we are increasing our visibility, strengthening our resilience and providing additional support to frontline teams and those investigating crime.”

He said the swap feeds back into his day job as well. “The nature of policing itself and the operational processes required from operational officers are constantly changing, so dipping my toes back into frontline policing will provide me with refreshed knowledge that I can use to optimise my training role.”

Where the extra officers go

Not everyone is heading out on patrol. Some officers are joining teams responding to urgent calls, while others are backing up custody suites and the detective teams investigating crime, spreading cover across the force through its busiest months.

The plan reaches into the diary as much as the rota. Some training booked for August has been pushed back, and annual leave has been arranged to keep as many officers available as possible through the peak of the holiday season.