Sergeant Sam Parfett is new to the Exeter Neighbourhood Police Team and is working hard to keep the public safe and make sure they see officers out and about in the city.

Sam leads a team of Police Constables and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and joined Devon & Cornwall Police after six years service in the Royal Navy. During his time there he served as an Electronic Warfare Specialist and a Royal Navy Police officer. 

He started his Devon & Cornwall Police career in Exeter before moving to Honiton and then took up the role of Neighbourhood Beat Manager for Seaton in East Devon.

Sam explained: “I thoroughly enjoyed my previous neighbourhood role and it was extremely rewarding. Since then I have been fortunate to work in a variety of roles - as a Patrol Sergeant responding to emergency calls, Operations Planning and most recently in the Force’s Contact & Resolution Command, working within the Control Rooms. 

One of the priority issues which Sam and his team will be dealing with in Exeter city is thefts from shops, which has increased nationally.  

Sam continued: “In Exeter, as with other towns and cities, there is a challenge of shop theft. I acknowledge this issue and will be building on the work established in the city and continue the partnerships already established with Exeter Businesses Against Crime (EBAC), the Community Safety team and Exeter City Council amongst others.   

“The police teams in Exeter have already achieved some good results and positive outcomes for the community. We are working to improve our engagement with retailers further and plain clothes operations are often carried out. We also take part in Safer Business Action days on a regular basis and want to reassure the public we are listening to their concerns.”

Between June 2024 and Jan 2025 officers in Exeter carried out hundreds of hours of patrols as well as making more than 50 arrests, searching premises, attending community engagement events, organising criminal behaviour orders and closing nuisance premises linked to crime. 

If you see Sam and his team in the city please say hello.

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