UNLIKE other community policemen, Burnley bobby PC Richard Collopy gets to and from his beat area by bus -- and travels free.

And when within his Duke Bar beat area, he often rides around it by bus -- again with free travel, courtesy of the Burnley and Pendle bus company.

But this is not a peculiar perk for PC Collopy.

Rather, it's a great benefit for the public he serves and for better policing.

For a major aspect of the community police system is officers not only knowing the area they cover inside out, but knowing its people and generating mutual respect and understanding.

It is a system that serves everyone well.

The public have the advantage of a visible and accessible police presence -- one that is a clear deterrent to criminals when they know there is an officer just around the corner. And the police gain from the crime-beating tip-offs they receive from members of the community whose confidence they have gained through the beat system.

And what better way can there be of enhancing this process than the beat bobby mixing even more with the community and getting to know more of its people than by travelling with them by bus?

Another benefit is the reduction of rowdyism that sometimes occurs on buses.

An officer on board is an instant deterrent for any such nuisance.

Indeed, the bus company calls it a human extension of the closed-circuit TV system and is happy to see more uptake of it by the police.

Duke Bar's bus bobby may be only a small initiative, but the advantages that it holds for the fight against crime, for safer streets and improved quality of life for law-abiding members of the community are far from small.

And Burnley and Pendle Transport deserve credit for their role in this initiative.

It is a great example of a local business working in conjunction with the police for the good of everyone.