Crime levels in the Thames Valley could soon fall as low as they were in the late 1960s, according to the force's Chief Constable Charles Pollard.

In his annual report out today, Mr Pollard says he expects crime levels to continue to be dramatically reduced, if police continue to work well with local communities.

Figures show that in 1969, there were 24 crimes for every 1,000 people in the Thames Valley. This rose to a peak of 100 crimes for every 1,000 people in 1992/1993.

Since then, crime has fallen steadily in the area with 75 crimes per 1,000 people recorded in 1997/1998 - a fall of 25 per cent in the past five years.

Mr Pollard said: "All these successes in reducing crime are rooted in the tremendous support and help we receive from the people who live and work in the Thames Valley.

"If we continue to work together well, and concentrate particularly on tackling youth crime with the help of the new Crime and Disorder Act, then we can stop tomorrow's criminals now.

"Providing the economy holds up and police resources are reasonable, there is no reason why we can't eventually get crime levels back to where they were in the 1960s."

Thames Valley Police received more than 240,000 999 calls and dealt with almost 600,000 incidents last year.

The annual report highlights successes of the force's problem-solving style - which aims to tackle causes of crime instead of simply responding to them.

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