St Austell crackdown seizes cash, cocaine and weapons

A watering can worth of headline numbers doesn’t tell you what four months on the ground actually looks like. Try this instead: seven doors kicked in, thousands of pounds in cash counted out, and more than fifty cans and bottles poured away or bagged as evidence. That is what St Austell’s neighbourhood police have been quietly building up since the spring, and they have now put a figure on it.

Seven warrants, and what came out of them

The St Austell neighbourhood policing team, the officers responsible for tackling issues affecting the local community and running proactive work to disrupt and deter crime, has carried out seven positive Misuse of Drugs Act warrants over the past four months.

Between them the warrants turned up thousands of pounds in cash, quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine and cannabis, and a number of prohibited weapons. Each of the seven was recorded as “positive”, meaning officers found what they went looking for.

More than fifty drinks seized under the town’s PSPO

Alongside the drug warrants, officers have been enforcing the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that covers St Austell town centre. Under the order, more than fifty cans and bottles of alcohol have been seized from individuals whose behaviour was linked to antisocial behaviour.

Sixteen stop searches from stepped-up patrols

Increased foot patrols through the town have fed directly into the arrest figures. Officers carried out 16 positive stop searches, recovering drugs, stolen property and weapons in the process.

The same period saw six people arrested after failing to appear at court, plus three more who were wanted for recall to prison. More than 20 people have been charged and have appeared before the courts, for offences including breaches of Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs).

“We are proactive on our streets”

A representative from the local neighbourhood policing team said: “St Austell remains a safe place to live, work and visit, but we know that crime and ASB can happen anywhere.

“That’s why activity like this is so important in sending a clear message that we are proactive on our streets and that we will be taking action against those whose behaviour causes harm in our communities.”

They added: “Alongside our targeted enforcement activity, we have increased our foot patrols throughout the town.

“We continue to work closely with local businesses, town security staff and partner agencies to gather information, build evidence and target offenders.

“We also want to show our communities that we are listening, we are approachable and that we are here to help when you need us.”

The partnerships behind the numbers

The St Austell neighbourhood team continues to work closely with Cornwall Council’s Antisocial Behaviour Team to address persistent offending. The two meet regularly with partner organisations, local businesses and community representatives to identify concerns and develop longer-term solutions, and the team also runs events to speak with local people directly.

How to report crime or ASB

Anyone wanting to report crime or antisocial behaviour is encouraged to do so, either online through Devon & Cornwall Police‘s report antisocial behaviour form, or by calling 101. In an emergency, always call 999.