ONE of the most important documents ever to be produced by the Lancashire Police Authority has been unveiled.

The Policing and Best Value Performance Plan outlines the authority's aims of how it wants to achieve best value by continually improving performance.

Under the plan the following areas will be reviewed; vision and strategy; sickness management; crime management; human resource management; training; recruitment and selection; custody prisoner handling; information technology; and crime recording and audit.

It will also set targets for the force to focus upon. These include; reducing recorded crime by 3.5 per cent; reducing disorder and anti-social behaviour by 3.5 per cent; increasing public confidence in Lancashire Constabulary particularly among ethnic minorities and increasing public satisfaction in the services it provides. Police Authority member David Winthrop, who is overseeing the plan, said: "We are completely committed to a programme of sustainable improvement. This will be done by identifying strengths and weaknesses within the constabulary's existing practices.

He added: "The objectives we set are carefully chosen to reflect accurately the needs and concerns of all the communities served by the constabulary which is why it is so important to seek the public's views on a range of matters concerning policing in the county."

Full details of the reviews and targets can be found in the full copy of the Policing and Best Vale Plan 2000/2001 published this week or on the web site at www.lancashire.police.uk. Copies are available from libraries or via the Clerk of the Police Authority at PO Box 78, County Hall, Preston PR1 8XJ.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.