A CALL for private security firms to be recruited to the battle against criminals has been backed by Lancashire's Chief Constable Pauline Clare.

A joint report by the Police Foundation, an independent research body, and the Policy Studies Institute think tank has underlined the need for the industry to play a big role in crime prevention and community safety.

But it has stressed that the private agencies need to be regulated and that police forces need to become "learning" organisations, experimenting to find ways of putting more officers on patrol.

The report points out that police patrolling has a limited impact on crime control.

But its ability to reassure the public and help sustain public confidence suggests that a visible uniformed presence must continue to play a significant part in modern policing. Lancashire's Chief Constable has welcomed the idea of giving the police more "eyes and ears".

The document, the product of an inquiry into the role and responsibilities of the police, also calls for local councils to prepare community safety plans.

It suggests that the police cannot win the fight against crime alone and that other agencies need to be increasingly involved.

It says forces need to set themselves clear goals, must be pro-active rather than reactive; rely less on rigid command structures; and invest in both new technology and their employees.

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