ESSEX’S Chief Constable says his top priority is local policing – making life better for people in neighbourhoods up and down the county.

Jim Barker-McCardle, 48, took over from his sometimes-controversial predecessor, Roger Baker in September. The Southend-born top cop says he wants to be able to “look people in the eye” when talking about his force’s actions.

Setting out his policing priorities for 2010, Mr Barker-McCardle admitted his objectives might appear routine, but said they were issues about which he was passionate.

He said: “I always need to be able to look the people of Essex in the eye and know we’re doing everything we can do to make sure every penny put into local policing is value for money.

“My number one priority is strong local policing, because that is where public confidence is won or lost. I am talking about effective neighbourhood policing, being as visible as possible, and honouring commitments in the policing pledge.

“That also means things such as having a responsive service, being locally contactable and having enough local officers and police community support officers who understand local problems.”

The county’s previous chief, Roger Baker, hit the headlines with some somewhat controversial policies, including a pledge to send an officer out to every reported crime.

Mr Barker-McCardle backs this and also plans to be just as tough as his predecessor on drug traffickers, dealers and organised crime.

Another priority is to reduce the public’s fear of crime, tackling issues, large and small, which can rip apart local communities. He explained: “We need to make sure we are doing all we can and all we need to do to tackle the threat from those who wish to make big profits and lead flash and comfortable lives through the supply of drugs, the smuggling of immigrants and serious and organised crime.

“We must also tackle child pornographers, the predatory sex offenders.

“These individuals’ actions – and their harm – is often invisible and undetectable, but when it does become visible, it affects real people, real families, real victims and real communities.”

Mr Barker-McCardle added: “This is also about protecting people from harm, when some of the most unruly and nasty individuals in neighbourhoods continually target and prey on communities and individual people. We take that very seriously, and they can be as much of a problem to communities as organised criminals.”

In return, he said, residents had to do their bit to keep crime down, for instance, by not leaving car keys on show in their homes, or leaving valuables on display in their cars.

Although reported crime in Essex appeared to be falling, he added, there remained “significant potential to drive that down further”.

He said: “It is not passing the buck. It is saying there are things people can do fairly easily and relatively cheaply to help us.”

Mr Barker-McCardle has 20 years’ experience under his belt, mostly in Kent, where he was appointed Deputy Chief Constable in 2004, before leaving in 2007 to work for the National Policing Improv-ement Agency.