Readers may be aware that the new Police and Crime Plan 2021-25 Devon, Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly has just been published earlier this month.

My article this December as a councillor in East Devon, which is of one of the eight district councils in Devon looked after by Devon and Cornwall Police, will focus on some of the issues in the plan relevance to Littleham.

We know that generally throughout Devon you tell the Police and Crime Commissioner that you want "to see more visible police officers in your community, more action to tackle drug offences and antisocial behaviour, and you want us to make our roads safer."

In Littleham, we must consider the local application of the policing plan priorities touched on earlier.

It would appear from research that so far, the main issues which have arisen in the last few months are firstly: the police have attended a number of addresses in the area in relation to reports of domestic abuse.

As readers will be aware, this is a very sensitive issue and if you find yourself in a situation where you need to flee domestic abuse, then the council can identify and refer you to a refuge for emergency accommodation to keep you safe.

The police for their part are also encouraged that these victims have the confidence to come forward to report to them and they take these matters very seriously. Even if they cannot progress a prosecution against the offender, they can ensure the victim is safeguarded and help them to access support as we mentioned earlier.

I should point out that your neighbours can play a vital part in sharing concerns about a domestic abuse victim and should always contact the police if they have any information. However, it's very encouraging to see that the Crime Plan focuses on "providing high quality support to victims of violence through commissioning specialist services to help them to cope and recover and help more victims to remain in the justice system." All these measures are very positive and useful measures in the ongoing fight against domestic abuse.

Secondly, the police continue to receive a number of reports about fraud and scams.

As readers are most probably aware the 'post office' scam has been well publicised, but people are still receiving the texts asking them to give their bank details to release an undelivered parcel. The police are asking people to remain vigilant to such scams and never reveal their bank or other personal details to an untested or unknown source.

Finally, a good news story for those of you who may be dog lovers: the number of dogs in the area has greatly increased over the last two years.

However, as a result the police now get a number of complaints about dogs not being properly controlled or supervised by their owners and sometimes causing injury to other dogs or humans.

As readers may remember, it was proposed back in February that in Littleham, play areas at The Crescent and West Down Lane would become dog-free zones.

This additional demand on police resources is totally preventable and all dog owners should take full responsibility for their animals. So hopefully, if you are reading this article and have a dog you are one of the many responsible dog owners.

To conclude it's very positive that we have a Police and Crime Plan for 2021-25 in place and as you can see in areas like Littleham, the police are using their resources locally to ensure that victims of crime are correctly supported and made aware of the resources available to them.

Wishing all readers a happy and joyful Christmas and safe New Year.

If you would like to contact your ward councillor, click here.

Click here to read the Police and Crime Plan.