Make Thugs Enemy No. 1

Avon and Somerset Police has been ordered to make robbery,burglary, car crime and loutish behaviour its priorities for the nextthree years.

In the first ever National Policing Plan, Home Secretary DavidBlunkett has told the force to concentrate on fighting both seriousand antisocial crimes.

Now Avon and Somerset will be expected to incorporate thosepriorities into its own three-year policing plan, which must be inplace to start next April.

Mr Blunkett insists it is his job to tell individual forces whichcrimes they should target in order for them to retain the confidenceof the public.

But local police chiefs are likely to complain that the planinvolves another layer of red tape and does not take account of localpolicing differences.

The Home Secretary stepped back from imposing specific targets oneach police force for cutting crime in each of the key areas.

Under existing targets, Avon and Somerset is expected to cut carcrime by one third, domestic burglary by a quarter and robbery by 14per cent between 1999 and 2004.

Mr Blunkett also pledged that the police service nationally wouldenjoy a funding boost of 5.4 per cent next year and at least four percent in 2004 and 2005.

However, Avon and Somerset must wait until next month's annualfunding announcement to find out exactly how much extra cash it willreceive.

Chief Constable Steve Pilkington has already written to local MPsto warn that his force could lose up to 180 officers under a proposedshake-up.

Speaking in Harrogate, Mr Blunkett said: "Police authorities andforces have to reflect national aims in their local policing plansand implementation locally will be key to their success.

"Parliament has agreed our police reform agenda and it is now downto police authorities and forces to implement it.

"Operational responsibility means they must be accountable,professional and responsive to public needs in their communities."The policing plan will expect every force in the country toincorporate standard intelligence methods - to boost detection rates -by April 2004.

And they will be expected to both build local partnerships anddevelop specialist expertise to investigate complex crimes.

Forces have been told to draw up their own three-year strategiesbecause of a recognition that the priorities will take more than 12months to achieve.