One of Northumbria Police's most senior officers says he is committed to high visibility policing following criticism from the Police Authority. Assistant chief constable David Warcup says tackling the fear of crime is an important part of the force's duties.
A Northumbria Police Authority review reveals that few people are happy with the number of street patrols.
However Mr Warcup says a balance needs to be struck between public reassurance and crime detection.
 |  There needs to be an appropriate balance between providing reassurance to the public and detecting and preventing crime  |
The report suggests more efficient resource allocation to increase patrols, while engaging more with the local community to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Mr Warcup said: "A visible presence on the streets can help provide reassurance and reduce the fear of crime, but it must be backed up with specialist policing to ensure that offenders are properly dealt with.
"We've ensured that every single area has its own community inspectors to support community beat managers.
"Managers patrol largely on foot or bikes trying to provide a visible presence in areas that would help us tackle problems that blight people's lives.
"But there needs to be an appropriate balance between providing reassurance to the public and detecting and preventing crime."
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