Photo: Twitter @PoliceNewquay
“Police officers, who put their bodies and minds on the line every day to keep us and our communities safe, need down-time and I absolutely support them for doing that at whatever time they and their supervisors see fit.
“I know our police officers struggle to take a break.
“If you visit a police station one thing you often see is unfinished cups of tea, left to go cold when officers are called away on a job.
“We want our officers embedded into our communities, not in police stations, and we want them to be visible.
“I would rather they get together for a break than head back to the station, it is an excellent opportunity for them to re-nourish their bodies and minds and to support each other when the going gets tough.
“The welfare of officers is paramount, that’s why in each year since I was elected I have increased the budget to increase their numbers and to give them better equipment to do their jobs.
“My proposed budget this year asks people to pay 41p a week* and that will, not could, result in another 85 officers.
“That means that by 2020 there will be 3,100 police officers in Devon and Cornwall, the highest number since 2012 when the old Police Authority voted to slash the workforce to 2,815.
“I am asking the people of Devon and Cornwall to support that plan and they can show that by completing the poll I am running to gauge opinion.”
Access the poll here
Learn more about the precept poll here