A sex offenders register and a crime evidence law are due to be enforced this year.

But in the policing plan for 2004, the Chief Officer Graham Power says the force is facing these challenges without more resources and with tighter budget constraints.

He says if money has to be diverted to these new laws some minor crimes may not be investigated.

He said: "If we have to take on the task of running a sex offenders register and checking up and doing risk assessments on sex offenders then we are either going to have to ask for an extra person to do that or to drop some other job."