LANCASHIRE Police's motto is one of aiming to make people "feel safe, involved and reassured." And, writes Crime reporter NICK EVANS, in the light of the recent launch of Operation Enforce -- the latest bid to crack down on town centre crime -- the Lancashire Evening Telegraph today asks whether Blackburn is really a safe place to be and examines what is being done to reassure members of the public.

Christmas is a good time for burglars with rich pickings to be had because of the extra property bought or received as presents in most houses.

But it isn't just burglary that's a problem in Blackburn town centre.

Police have launched several ongoing initiatives in the past year aimed at cutting down on town centre crime, many aimed at the type of crimes the public fear most, such as assault and car crime as well as burglary.

And despite the recent rise in crime figures which has prompted the launch of Operation Enforce focusing on car crime and burglary in the town centre, Mill Hill and Fishmoor, police bosses say that together with their partners in local government they are winning the war on crime in the town centre.

One of the main police initiatives aimed at making Blackburn town centre a safer place has been Operation Safer Streets.

Launched last December in the run up to Christmas the campaign was the start of a major clamp down on violence in the town centre by tackling alcohol related violence and rowdiness associated with binge drinking.

According to the British Crime Survey, which monitors crime and its causes, 40 per cent of all violent crime is drink related. And in Blackburn there have been particular problems with youngsters drinking - and a minority who cause violence when drunk.

Lancashire Constabulary's Eastern Division, which includes Blackburn, has made reducing disorder one of its main objectives, with a target to reduce incidents by two per cent.

Officers have been drafted in from across the division to double the number of police on the streets during the operation, although police bosses stressed this would not affect policing levels elsewhere.

Chief Inspector Neil Smith, the man in charge of police operations in Eastern Division, which covers Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, said the operation was a long-term strategy to deal with crime in the town centre.

He added: "We have worked very hard with various agencies through our Safer Streets initiative to make Blackburn town centre a safer place to visit, both during the day and at night.

"Although the crime figures show an increase on last year this is mainly due to the initiatives that we are running -- having more police on the streets inevitably results in more arrests."

Operation Reassure, launched last week, is another major scheme to tackle crime.

It will run through the Christmas and New Year period until January 25 and will see extra police on the streets.

The latest phase of Operation Reassure is the third such crackdown in a year.

Originally launched last December the scheme has seen more than 1,500 arrests across the county for crimes ranging from burglary to public disorder.

This stage of the operation will see each division employing a range of tactics including targeting known offenders and putting extra, high visibility patrols on the streets. Chief Inspector Neil Smith said: "We will be targeting all our known burglary offenders as well as carrying out high visibility patrols across Blackburn and the surrounding area.

"These patrols will inevitably have a knock-on effect on drug dealing and car crime as well.

"Officers throughout the division will be working closely with the additional officers from headquarters to have a positive impact on burglary - not only reducing the number of people who fall victim to this upsetting crime, but also increasing the number of burglars charged before the courts."

Det Chief Supt Adrian McAllister, who is heading up the operation county-wide, said: "This operation aims to tackle burglary head-on and make a real difference to the amount of crime being committed in the county.

"We will also be targeting extra resources towards preventing and detecting these offences.

"By targeting those people suspected of committing offences of burglary we will be sending a very clear message to the criminals of Lancashire."

Mr McAllister urged the public to play their part in the fight against crime by ensuring their properties were secure and by giving information to police on the Crimestoppers hotline of 0800 555 111.