REDUCED crime and improved public protection are the aims behind a major re-shuffle in Lancashire Probation Service.

Staff are being organised into specialist teams to focus on specific areas of work such as services to courts, community supervision, prisons and administration.

The shake-up is in response to the Crime and Disorder Act which has underlined probation's role in working with local authorities, police and in partnership with others to promote community safety and reduce crime.

Lancashire Chief Probation Officer John Crawforth said: "There is compelling evidence that well-targeted programmes for supervising officers can have a major effect in reducing crime.

"It is essential that we maintain continuity in our working links with a wide range of organisations and agencies.

"Probation continues to be at the heart of local communities and probation staff continue to be based in all our existing local offices and centres and in Lancashire's six prisons.

"The accent is not on what we can do alone but in partnership with other organisations across the public, voluntary and private sectors."

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