Police crack down anti-social behaviour in Plymouth park

Police are stepping up patrols in a park in Plymouth following reports of anti-social behaviour.

Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were cracking down on alcohol-fuelled crime in Patna Park in Stonehouse.

The force said police visited more than 300 homes in the area to gather information and residents raised concerns over offensive language, public urination, general disorder and smashed glass bottles.

Insp Greg Bridgett said the park was a space for “everyone to enjoy” and officers would be targeting the “few who choose to disrupt this peace”.

Insp Bridgett said people felt “uncomfortable visiting the park” and poor behaviour “would not be tolerated”.

Police said officers would be carrying out additional patrols across different days and times to enforce the Public Space Protection Order, which gives them the power to remove alcohol and request people stop drinking.

He said “people’s voices are key to community policing”.

“If we’re not listening to what matters to our communities, then the impact of what we’re doing isn’t going to be felt,” he said.