Police are delighted with the falling levels of crime.

A 13 per cent drop in crime in the Keighley division has been reported by Supt Steve Priestley, the divisional commander.

"You may not see as much of the police as you wish, but certainly the criminal is seeing far more of the police than he would wish," Supt Priestley told a meeting of Airedale Police Community Forum on Monday.

However, Supt Priestley did acknowledge that violent crime had gone up, with 138 more cases recorded in the Keighley division. He said 40 per cent of this increase could be attributed to Keighley town centre, which had become much busier recently.

Supt Steve Priestley told us he is pleased. And he warns that police will now have to sustain that improvement.

"We will build on the partnerships we have with organisations such as neighbourhood watch, shoplink, and pub and club watch," he says.

He says police will also work closely with the special constabulary and other agencies such as Keighley's Single Regeneration Budget which have contributed to the reduction in crime.

"We will also be keeping our main focus of targeting persistent and prolific criminals who commit burglaries and who deal in drugs," he adds.

West Yorkshire Chief Constable Graham Moore says he is also pleased. "The targeting of known criminals has been enormously successful," he says. "It has made West Yorkshire a safer place to be.

"We can't take all the credit. The public have played a key role through such things as Neighbourhood Watch. Toget-her we can build on this excellent work."

One of the reasons for crime rates in Keighley coming down is the high number of Neighbourhood Watch schemes in the area.

At the last count 604 schemes had been organised in the Keighley area, and police are keen to get more people involved.

To encourage more people to join the crime-busting scheme, 6,000 leaflets have been delivered to homes in this area.

PC Steve Littlewood, of Keighley Police, says: "It is very hectic at the moment with so many people wanting to join Neighbourhood Watch, but we are highly delighted with the public response and we are more than willing to accept as many people as possible."

The organisation is also planning an Aire Valley roadshow on Wednesday, April 22, at the Clarke Foley Centre in Ilkley, from 7pm.

This will involve a simulation and will outline how police resources are deployed during a busy night.

Anyone interested in joining the Neighbourhood Watch scheme can contact PC Littlewood on 617041.

Camcorders at Keighley police station are ready for use, but officers will require special training to operate them.

Officers will be required to undergo four weeks of special training from staff at the police video unit.

The camcorders will be used to compile evidence, and it is likely the officers will be ready to use them sometime after Easter.

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