Join in the fight against property crime

The group is one of a package of measures designed to help cut crime.

Inspector Max Mosley said this week: "The property crime group is a partnership activity linked to the Crime and Disorder Act.

"It is a multi-agency approach to teasing-out the problems and enhancing the approach of the community to deal with problems generally within the community.

"I shall be inviting some of the people who have been high-profile recently on the crime and policing issue to join me on that.

"It is all about enhancing Neighbourhood Watch, enhancing security, enhancing the range of diversionary activities that are available to prevent offences taking place in the long-term.

"These youngsters who have what is termed 'predicted negative outcome can be 'rescued if all the agencies involved are talking together and if they offer strong role-models."

Inspector Mosley said: "One of my fears is that the villains will see Bexhill as an easy opportunity because the public doesn t do enough to prevent crime.

"I would like to see decent quality CCTV in every shop.

"I would like to see the majority of the public linked into a major Neighbourhood Watch system where they really do look after their neighbours and the community by ensuring that information is passed on to the police.

"I would like to see basic 'target hardening measures.

"I was saying all last year that identification is the key to putting offenders away. Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the burden of proof regarding identification is stringent to say the least.

"We have to offer offenders a range of identification procedures, from identification parades to video identification."