A COORDINATED day of action by Devon and Cornwall Police has led to 65 arrests as part of a force-wide crackdown on domestic abuse – with 21 of those arrests taking place in Cornwall.

The proactive operation, which was carried out on Tuesday, April 8, targeted high-risk offender aimed to protect victims, disrupt ongoing abuse and demonstrate the force’s zero-tolerance approach to domestic violence.

Domestic abuse is defined as an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer.

Acting Superintendent Tom Cunningham who led the day of action said: “This was a successful day with the use of targeted intelligence to arrest those we suspect of being perpetrators of domestic abuse.

“Domestic abuse is often a hidden and under reported crime with those victims often suffering in silence.

“Every arrest carried out is a positive intervention which we hope will see a home environment made safer and those perpetrating domestic abuse bought to justice. We are committed to taking action against all reports of domestic abuse and, where the evidence exists, will ensure offenders are charged to court.

“My hope is the large number of arrests will give confidence to victims to come forward and report matters to us or to a third party so action can be taken to safeguard a victim and their family.”

Officers carried out a series of planned interventions across both counties, resulting in 21 arrests in Cornwall, 20 in Devon, 16 in South Devon and eight arrests in Plymouth.

Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, has welcomed the day of action and commitment to arrest perpetrators of domestic abuse.

She said: “I applaud the efforts of police for cracking down on despicable perpetrators of domestic abuse during the day of action, and I also commend the bravery of the victims who found the courage to report their behaviour to the police.

“I hope the arrests will give people the confidence to report incidents and help Devon & Cornwall Police to bring perpetrators to justice.

“Any form of abuse is unacceptable, especially in peoples’ homes where they have every right to feel safe. We must not stand by and allow a culture where violence and abuse can thrive, and we owe it to our society to unite against the perpetrators of violence.

“I am committed to exploring innovative, disruptive and radical solutions to stamp out these kind of behaviours, and ensure that victims and their families have access to the resources they need to heal and rebuild their lives.”

The arrests mark a significant step forward in tackling domestic abuse, which continues to be one of the most serious, widespread yet most underreported crimes affecting communities across Devon and Cornwall.

By taking decisive action to apprehend suspected offenders, the police say they are sending a clear message that abuse will not be tolerated and that protecting victims remains a top priority.