Old-fashioned policing returns

The area's police chief, Insp Mark Hammond, said the reorganisation would bring officers into even closer contact with residents and community groups, with the aim of nipping in the bud anti-social behaviour and other problems before they got out of hand.

Three separate policing teams will be set up: Littlehampton north, covering the Ham and Wick with Toddington wards; Littlehampton south, for the River, Beach and Brookfield wards; and an east team, for Angmering, Rustington, East Preston, Kingston, Ferring and Findon. There will also be a team for the Arundel area.

Each team will have a sergeant, one or two constables, and three or four police community support officers (PCSOs).

They will be modelled on the successful Littlehampton town centre team, formed early last year, which has achieved a 20 per cent reduction in overall crime. The east team will have additional support from special constables.

"We are going back to the old-fashioned approach of people on the beat, familiar faces talking to people. They have to be seen to be dealing with issues such as anti-social behaviour and other problems affecting people's quality of life.

"The officers have to be visible. Named sergeants will be out in their patches, and I will be out and about there more over the next three months. People will be seeing more of the police, and the more we can get them working with us, the more we can achieve," added Insp Hammond.

The new arrangements come into force on January 30, and Insp Hammond said his officers were very enthusiastic about being closer to the people.

He also paid tribute to the PCSOs for their contribution to policing in the area. "They have been worth their weight in gold. The feedback from the villages, particularly, has been tremendous, for the reassurance they provide and the community work they do.

"They are not policing on the cheap. They have enhanced our service and, where they integrate with police constables and we operate as a team, that is when it really works."

As well as greater contact with the public, the new teams will develop closer links with neighbourhood watch groups, residents' associations and other community organisations.

It's hoped to set up neighbourhood forums, "dynamic and proactive" bodies where local issues can be solved and problems addressed before they escalate.

Across the board, there will also be a greater focus on partnerships with schools, councils, social services and other agencies.

"The aim is to come up with community-based solutions to community problems," said Insp Hammond. "We will be able to tackle problems more quickly. We want to make things comfortable for people who want to lead a quiet, law-abiding life, and very uncomfortable for those who make others' lives a misery."