High-visibility street marshal patrols will continue in 15 towns across Devon and Cornwall for a further six months following a £150,000 funding boost from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).
Street marshals provide a uniformed presence in town centres and other busy public spaces. They act as extra eyes and ears for police, help deter antisocial behaviour (ASB) and low-level crime, and offer reassurance to residents, businesses and visitors.
The OPCC funding will support patrols until September 30, 2026, in towns where street marshals have already been operating alongside police and partners to help prevent ASB and improve feelings of safety in local communities. The aim is to ensure continued efforts during our summer surge of visitors.
Many street marshals are accredited through the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS), which gives them a limited range of powers to help tackle ASB, including seizing alcohol or tobacco from young people and requesting details from those involved in certain offences.
The Commissioner’s £150,000 contribution forms part of the wider funding picture for street marshals in these locations, with delivery continuing through joint working between Devon & Cornwall Police and local partners.
Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: “Street marshals provide a reassuring and visible presence in communities and play an important role in supporting efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour. My office is pleased to be helping to maintain street marshal patrols in the 15 locations that have already seen the benefits of this approach.
“The funding will help maintain that presence in the short term while partners continue to consider longer term arrangements for local provision. Tackling ASB is not something any one organisation can do alone. It depends on strong partnership working, and street marshals are a good example of that in action.”
Over the past two years, Devon and Cornwall has benefited from Home Office hotspot policing funding which supported targeted police patrols and partnership activity in areas with higher levels of ASB, crime and serious violence.
That national funding has not continued this year. Building on the progress made, Devon & Cornwall Police is now taking hotspot policing forward as part of business as usual neighbourhood policing across the whole force, meaning communities across Devon and Cornwall will continue to benefit from targeted patrols and problem-solving activity.
Nearly 8,000 hours of street marshal patrols were delivered during the final nine months of 2025 in the 15 existing hotspot locations. The impact of street marshals has been welcomed by communities and businesses.
Tony, who works in Camborne, said: “You can notice the positive difference and increase in people out enjoying the town nicely. It helps business because people want to buy things from shops and sit in the square to eat in the sunshine. There is a good presence from the marshals as well, they interact with the locals and if people are having issues, they know who can help.”
Sally, owner of Lightning Tree XOX in Bideford, said: “It is reassuring to know there are patrols in our town. It gives my staff a good level of confidence that there are people there to look after and watch out for them. Some of the problems we had were graffiti, rubbish and disorder but with the marshal patrols, that is helping. So as a business owner, I am very happy to see them around.”
To learn more about the work of street marshals, please watch the videos below:
