NEIGHBOURHOOD policing seems to be getting as good a response from officers as from residents.

Bret Mercer, a neighbourhood officer for Lee Chapel North, Basildon, said dedicating specialist police to a ward worked well because they could get a thorough knowlege of the area.

He added: "You begin to get ownership of your area and you take it personally when things happen on your beat.

"It's back to basics, back to things that were done years ago."

The officers work with their ward councillors, residents' groups and neighbourhood watch teams to make their area a better place to live, and officers can be contacted directly on mobile phones by people with concerns.

Steve Joynes, a neighbourhood officer for Hockley, said his team often worked with residents to introduce the right preventative measures in their area.

He said: "We did have a bit of graffiti in Hockley, so we set up a spraycan art project to do it legally and properly, and a proper artist came.

"Graffiti died; it dropped to zero. That was good, but you've got to sustain it. You've got to keep doing it because the kids are bored and the more bored they get, the more damage they do."

Neighbourhood Action Panels, made up of local residents, have now been set up so they can advise neighbourhood officers of what they need to focus on.

Mr Joynes has been working for the force for 17 years and enjoyed his change in role because he could work more closely with the community and "fit in".

He added: "You can make the place safer and more pleasant for people to live in. That's what I like - the fact that I can make a difference and have a network of people that are willing to help."