Local boy's first priority as new police chief for Falmouth & Helston is to ensure his teams are listening to residents.

Insp Rick Milburn, who grew up in Falmouth and Penryn, has been appointed as new sector inspection covering Falmouth and Helston area.

He takes over from Acting Sector Inspector, David Pearce, covering the sector, which includes Penryn, Porthleven, Falmouth, and Helston.

Rick grew up in the Falmouth and Penryn area, joining Devon and Cornwall Police in 2004.

Throughout his career, Rick has completed a range of different roles across a variety of departments including patrol, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Public Protection Unit (PPU).

In 2012, Rick led the high-profile Operation Margate in the Falmouth area. This resulted in two men being jailed for a total of 32 years for the sexual abuse of children, under the guise of a witches’ coven during the 1970s and 1980s.

More recently, between 2016 and 2020, he was the Sector Inspector for Truro, responsible for focusing on local priorities such as anti-social behaviour, street drinking, and youth violence.

During this period, Rick and his team were first on the scene at the armed robbery which took place at Michael Spiers jewellers in Truro.

This was one of the biggest heists the county had ever seen, with over £1 million worth of goods being stolen, which resulted in seven significant convictions totalling a cumulative 64 years.

Inspector Milburn said of his appointment: “I’m delighted and proud to have the opportunity to become Sector Inspector for Falmouth, Helston, and the surrounding areas.

"I’m aware that there is already a great policing team in place, but we can’t rest on our laurels, and there are always improvements that we can make to ensure a high standard of service to the public.

"I grew up in the local area, and I understand the sense of community and appreciate the love that people have for the area.”

Inspector Milburn continued: “My first priority will be to ensure my team are listening; listening to the residents, listening to local businesses and stakeholders so that I can fully understand public concerns and local issues. This way we can work together to tackle them effectively.”

With the summer quickly approaching, and Falmouth being a top destination for holidaymakers and visitors, the team say they are committed to making the local area a safe and enjoyable place to visit, live, and work.

Falmouth Police Station is open from 10am – 3pm from Monday – Saturday, or alternatively, the next police drop-in surgery is at Penryn Library from 10am – 11am on Friday, June 28, to discuss any issues, and to get to know the local policing team.