Police authorities, working in partnership with other public bodies, have made commitments to targets as part of their crime reduction strategies. When the five-years strategies were first published last year, one third had no specific outcome targets for burglary and/or vehicle crime. It was clear that in some cases partnerships engaged in abstract policy making rather than seeking to make a real difference to the quality of life.In response to this failure, Home Secretary Jack Straw, his Ministers, HM Inspectors and senior Home Office officials toured the country last autumn and met the people who are delivering local crime fighting partnerships. Their aim was to make sure that everyone makes a contribution to national crime reduction targets. See Publicnet 2 September 1999. The success of marshalling the Home Office resources in this way can be seen in the newly published five- year individual targets to cut overall car crime and burglary which range from between 10% to 64%. The national targets are to cut vehicle crime by 30%, and domestic burglary by 26%.

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‘Customer champions’ are to be given the job of looking after the interests of customers and acting as their advocates in internal debates. The challenge for the champions is to change public service culture to a customer focus as part of the drive for responsive Government services.The customer focus campaign will embrace all public services. As well as central government agencies such as the Benefits Agency and Employment Service it will cover the health service, including hospitals and GPs, the emergency services – fire, police and ambulance, the courts and local council services including schools.

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