A TOUGH new crime fighting partnership has been set up to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the district.

The Lancaster Area Crime and Disorder Partnership was officially launched at Lancaster town hall this week and aims to reduce burglaries and car crime by ten per cent.

It also aims to reduce fear and violence in town centres, tackle drugs and address juvenile nuisance.

Made up of the police, the city and county councils, the probation service, the health authority and the chamber of commerce, the partnership will look at how they can work together to tackle crime.

Said Police Authority chairman, Ruth Henig: "The police, city and county council got together this time last year to produce a plan to reduce crime and disorder in the area. We now need to monitor progress and to get a wider body of people and organisations involved in the delivery of the plan. The aim of the meeting is to get as many people as possible involved in the shared aim of reducing crime."

Independent group leader, Cllr Tricia Heath, said: "People have put crime and disorder issues at the top of the local agenda. The city council's focus group work and its Listening Roadshow highlighted crime and drugs as big issues for local people.

"No one agency can tackle these problems on their own and the aim of the partnership is to get people around the table to tackle the problems."

Divisional Commander John Thompson commented: "We welcome the opportunity for other organisations and voluntary agencies to become involved in tackling the key crime and disorder issues in our area.

"The partnership is viewed as a great positive step forward in actually delivering solutions at a local level."

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