The Problem and its Background
Introduction
Policing is essentially about communities and for communities. That is why we must always take account on public opinion in informing policy, setting policing priorities and devising appropriate response. The promotion of community safety involves not only effective policing but also positive citizenship and public policy. As regards a sense of reassurance, police and police visibility were frequently the first factors mentioned as important, with visibility being linked to greater police engagement which the public expected would impact on crime and fear of crime. Overall, it was considered that there were not enough police on the beat and the desire was expressed for a proactive rather than reactive presence.

There was a broad understanding of the role of the police with visibility linked to that role. Visibility was perceived to relate to foot patrol which respondents preferred to mobile patrol as this was seen as providing little or no opportunity for officers to interact or deter. Police visibility was seen as a means of facilitating engagement and intervention which, when combined, would be expected to enhance quality of life, reduce fear of crime, fear of intimidation and reduce the incidence of crime. Police officers were considered neither common nor accessible in young people's lives and although they accepted a need for police, young people did not view them positively. Indeed police were associated with negative personal experience. Greater police visibility was not important to young people and whilst the most common response to improving visibility was to have more officers on the street there was the counter concern that this may lead to more harassment for young people. Reassurance and reduction of tensions between police and young people were believed to be more dependent on positive interaction than