BURY could maintain its position as the lowest crime area in Greater Mancheser - thanks to police targets to catch more villains.

Greater Manchester Police have unveiled new targets in the fight against violence, drugs, burglaries and car thefts.

The force is also reinforcing its commitment to answering 90 per cent of 999 calls within 30sec.

The objectives are outlined in the Greater Manchester Policing Plan 1997-98, produced jointly by the Greater Manchester Police Authority and Chief Constable David Wilmot.

The document follows detailed consultation with the public and a range of organisations.

The report stresses that the demand for policing in Greater Manchester continues to grow. More than 303,000 crimes were recorded in 1995-96.

Although violent crime accounted for only 5.6 per cent of incidents, the force recognises that such acts generate "considerable public concern".

GMP now has a force-wide target to solve 110 violent crimes per 100 officers - ten more than the previous year's target.

Police recognise the link between drugs and crime and the "devastating effect" the misuse of drugs can have on local communities. GMP's target for 1997-98 (the same as last year's) is to arrest 1.5 people for the misuse of drugs per 1,000 population (3,867 people).

The report says the prevention of burglary is a priority and the aim is to reduce break-ins to 45 per 1,000 households.

The burglary rate has been reduced over the last three years, from 61 break-ins per 1,000 houses in 1993 to 49 per 1,000 homes in 1995-96. Vehicle crime has also come under the microscope. Thefts of or from a motor vehicle account for nearly a third of recorded crime in Greater Manchester.

New targets are no more than 625 thefts of vehicles per 100 officers and 65 primary detections of vehicle thefts per 100 officers.

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