POLICE bosses have unveiled the top five priorities they will concentrate on as they try to deal with an increasing workload.

The objectives were presented to a meeting of Lancashire police authority, where members were informed that the number of incidents recorded by the force during 1995/96 had risen by 6.3 per cent.

The incidents included 156,349 '999' calls, dealt with 35,678 people arrested or reported for criminal matters and attended 18,142 household burglaries and 6,327 road traffic accidents. The top priorities outlined in the 1997/98 policing plan will remain for the next five years. They are:

Prevention of crime: preventing as well as detecting crime and bringing criminals to justice.

Public tranquillity: the maintenance of public order so that people's confidence is increased.

Meeting demand: providing a high quality service and dealing with incidents in the most appropriate way.

Road safety: the reduction of road casualties through education, engineering and enforcement.

Partnerships: working with others to identify and tackle problems.

The policing plan was drawn up following consultation with community groups, police officers, elected representatives and the public. The five year 'corporate strategy' is backed up by 22 objectives which the force will tackle during this year.

Chief Constable Pauline Clare said: "During 1996, I and my fellow officers spent a great deal of time listening to members of the public, police authority members and colleagues, in order to identify priority areas for policing in Lancashire over the next few years.

"Many changes lie ahead and the policing environment is constantly changing. However, I am confident that meeting the objectives detailed in this annual plan will help us to deliver our strategic aim of making the people of Lancashire feel safe, involved and reassured."

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