Pete Giesens, who has worked for Devon & Cornwall Police for more than 15 years, has recently moved into a new role as sector inspector, heading up the team of police officers who look after neighbourhood policing team in Brixham and Paignton.

A large part of his role is to direct his team of officers to focus on priorities in neighbourhoods as a result of listening to local concerns and reports, overseeing the implementation of projects to tackle crime in areas and sharing important updates to the community about policing.

Inspector Pete Giesens said: “I have a personal connection with this area having been born here and lived here all my life, with the exception of going to university in Bristol.

“I am really passionate about making a positive impact on local communities in my new position.

“I would like to continue to improve on making people feel safer in their own town and build the public’s confidence knowing that they will receive competent and compassionate service from our officers with a common-sense approach to dealing with situations.

“Another focus of mine is to ensure that vulnerable people, harder to reach groups and wider communities feel that they have the wholehearted support of my neighbourhood officers, knowing that our teams will be doing what they can to investigate crime and support victims.

“Finally, I would like to work towards reinvigorating the notion of ‘community spirit’ in Brixham and Paignton, working towards a point where people feel involved and engaged with the local community, making a difference by working together,” he said.

Inspector Giesens has worked as part of the front-line for all his roles in the Force, starting out as a police constable, responding to 999 and emergency calls, then moving up to response sergeant post, before taking up a post as patrol inspector, which involved looking after a team of response officers in South Devon.

To find out more about the neighbourhood officers in your local area, visit the “what’s happening in your area” section of the Devon & Cornwall Police website.