Canal staff to tackle anti-social behaviour

Canal volunteers gain new powers

Canal Rangers Team and Community Patrol Boat volunteers who work on Grand Western Canal in Tiverton and its country park have been given limited police powers.

In what has been hailed as a significant milestone in community policing both the rangers and the volunteers have been accredited with limited police powers under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) and the Accredited Police Volunteer (APV) scheme respectively.

The rangers are part of the CSAS scheme which has been running in Devon & Cornwall since 2005, whereas the volunteers are the first in Devon and Cornwall to be part of the APV scheme.

The powers accredited through both schemes will enable the volunteers and the rangers to deal with any low-level anti-social behaviour which might occur while fostering a sense of security and reassurance for users and the community.

The powers have been targeted to address the needs of the canal and surrounding area and include being able to request the name and address of anyone acting in an anti-social manner. It is a formal offence if an individual does not comply with the requests from accredited volunteers. 

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said:

“It’s excellent news that the Grand Western Canal Country Park will benefit from this innovative partnership to ensure the area is afforded extra protection against crime and anti-social behaviour. Our thanks go to the volunteers and our Canal Rangers who are dedicating their time and effort to make this initiative a reality. With their combined expertise and passion, we’re confident that the Accredited Police Volunteer scheme and CSAS scheme will have a positive impact on the canal and its surrounding communities.”

Both the APV-accredited volunteers and CSAS-accredited rangers can be identified by the logo displayed on their uniform, they will also carry a police ID badge and a card listing their powers.