TORPOINT police are to focus on bringing down the number of criminal damage cases in the town. Sergeant Gilbert told town councillors at their meeting last week that incidents have gone up over the past month to 14. Sgt Gilbert said the increase in cases was now one of the priorities of the local police and this challenging issue will require officers – along with partnership agencies – to address this type of anti- social crime. Other offences in Torpoint over the last month included six assaults, five damage to motor vehicles, four burglaries, although none were to dwellings, one case of drink/driving, five cases of drunk and disorderly and one of possession of an offensive weapon. Reported crime in Torpoint and the Rame Peninsula for the first four months of this year is slightly down on the same period last year. On a previous question from councillor Andrews, Sergeant Gilbert informed the council that, overall, detection rates for the last 12 months in Torpoint parish was 33 per cent. While violent crime has a 60 per cent detection rate, thefts from motor vehicles were much lower, he said. Sgt Gilbert was asked if Torpoint was likely to lose any officers in view of the recent announcement that up to 150 officers are being withdrawn from frontline policing. He explained that this was a Government decision and that he has no information on any change for Torpoint. He also said that Torpoint is due to get two police community support officers – one for Torpoint and one for the Rame Peninsula area. They would be free from paperwork and could help to deal with anti-social behaviour.