FARNHAM is set to benefit from a number of major changes to the structure of Surrey Police.
The changes will result in more police on the streets, with a view to providing greater public reassurance.
The deployment of "Specialist Neighbourhood Officers" signals a return to traditional practice of "bobbies on the beat" and comes in response to overwhelming public demand.
With Farnham's main problem being a "fear of crime" rather than actual crime, putting more police on the streets is seen as an effective measure in a community which needs the reassurance of greater police presence.
The Specialist Neighbourhood Officers will be available to deal exclusively with crimes and anti-social behaviour in the town without being deployed at short notice to deal with incidents in Guildford or Godalming.
Persistent problems the neighbourhood officers will face in Farnham include graffiti, abandoned cars and large groups of youths congregating at night, which is a on-goingconcern for the elderly.
As part of a new wave of greater community involvement, the officers will form strong ties with local people, gathering local intelligence to identify threats of crime and disorder.
To increase efficiency, officers will be equipped with mobile phones, allowing them to report crime directly from the crime scene rather than returning to the police station.
The new style of policing will have further implications for the town when Surrey Police enlarges the divisions to make them "stronger and more effective".
From January next year, Waverley will merge with Guildford to form a West Surrey division, and the headquarters will be based at Guildford instead of Farnham police station.
Farnham Inspector Andrea Wood will now be known as Borough Inspector and will be the highest ranked officer based at Farnham.
The West Surrey Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Mark Rowley, and Superintendent of Operations, Anne Vamplew, will be based at Guildford but will visit Farnham on a regular basis.
Efforts to ensure crime is reported more quickly and efficiently is another major element in the re-structuring programme and will soon be in force in Farnham.
The public will be able to report crime over the phone and a "single number" phone number will be launched so that people do not waste time going through the main switchboard.
A number of factors have precipitated the need for change including an increase in the number of 999 calls, higher public expectations, the changing nature of criminality and the rising fear of crime.
The Chief Constable of Surrey Police, Denis O'Connor said: "We have to make difficult choices on the most effective use of our limited resources. We will be focusing our efforts on giving a harder time to local criminals and providing a more visible police presence.
"We have too many officers spending their time responding to calls which could be dealt with more effectively over the phone. The changes will mean officers can focus their efforts where it will really make a difference in making the people of Surrey feel safe."