Blunkett warns police over loss of trust

The Government today warned the police that public trust in them has fallen and they have become remote from local people.

David Blunkett said the public no longer believed police were dealing with the problems that most blighted their lives, including alcohol-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour.

Launching a radical reforms package, the Home Secretary said: "My generation remembers a time when you were on firstname terms with the local bobby. You knew where to find help when you needed it and police understood the problems on their beat.

"I want to bring back the best of good old-fashioned policing - the spirit of dedication to neighbourhoods and the strong bond between community and police." Among new ideas to rebuild trust, the public will be given the names, mobile phone numbers and email addresses of local police teams so they can demand action or pass on tips about criminal activity.

Every parish will have a local team with orders to be more responsive to the concerns of residents. In London, the teams will include a sergeant, two constables and three community support officers, while small villages will be handled by a single officer.

The proposals are in a White Paper which aims to recreate the sor t of friendly relations with the public seen in Dixon of Dock Green, the fictional TV hero.

Mr Blunkett believes officers have become more remote from the public by failing to respond quickly to offences like burglary.

Neighbourhood team policing is meant to build confidence. In future, people will be able to call up photographs and contact details for local officers on the internet.

But the proposals are likely to bring controversy, particularly over the role of community support officers without the same level of training or powers as regular Pcs.

Mr Blunkett was also expected to indicate his conclusions on a review of smaller police forces. The Home Office is keen to create bigger strategic forces, plus "lead" forces specialising in particular types of crime such as murder, complex fraud or internet paedophilia.

Another proposal which has been considered is to allow foreign policemen to become British constables.

The reforms fol low Labour's decision to put crime-fighting and policing at the forefront of the next general election campaign.

Each force will have to honour a 10-point customer charter setting out how the police should see their job. These include promising that the public will get help quickly in an emergency.

A Mori poll this summer suggested policing was the one major public service where people were less satisfied the more contact they had with it.