THE shape of frontline policing in Norfolk will change from tomorrow as Norfolk Constabulary puts more officers on patrol and in neighbourhood policing teams.

THE shape of frontline policing in Norfolk will change from tomorrow as Norfolk Constabulary puts more officers on patrol and in neighbourhood policing teams.

The old 12-hour 'four days on, four days off' shift pattern has been replaced with a more customer-friendly pattern, to more effectively match customer demand with the right officer, in the right place, at the right time.

The force's revised model of policing will deliver more uniforms in the county's neighbourhoods and will see more officers on duty at the times when they are needed.

Norfolk Police say the 52 neighbourhood policing teams are the cornerstone of policing in the county, which will be supported by response teams and specialist units such as dog handling, forensics, road policing and firearms.

More than 100 additional officers have joined neighbourhood policing teams to problem-solve issues and protect residents. Response teams will patrol the county 24/7 responding to emergency calls, directed by controllers in the contact and control room.

The force's fastest cars are kitted out with the most advanced Automatic Vehicle Location System, complemented by satellite navigation, which the force says will ensure the most appropriate officer is sent to each call.

And combined with the Policing Pledge, recently published by the force, it aims to answer 999 calls within 10 seconds. In urban areas police will aim to get to a scene within 15 minutes, and 20 minutes in a rural area.

Chief Constable Ian McPherson said: “Everyone in the county lives within one of our 52 safer neighbourhoods, looked after by a dedicated policing team of officers, community support officers and special constables. Our neighbourhood policing teams work out of 35 police stations across the county - there will be one near you. They want you to help them identify the local priorities for policing.

“We really are listening to what you tell us. There have been repeated calls for more uniformed officers and staff on the beat. Our re-structuring and re-organising has seen over 100 extra officers in our neighbourhood policing teams and more are planned. Officers and PCSOs are also working to new shift patterns to ensure they are on duty in sufficient numbers to meet your demands. We are here to provide the services you want, when you need them.”