Thames Valley Police chief Charles Pollard has backed Tony Blair's call for 'zero tolerance' of crime and the introduction of child curfews.

But the chief constable insisted there would be no 'New York-style' policing in Oxfordshire.

Speaking after he was named as the only police officer on the new National Youth Justice Board, Mr Pollard said he supported the tough stance taken by the Prime Minister at the Labour Party conference.

Mr Pollard said: "I have no problem with what the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister are saying.

"In terms of policing in the Thames Valley, crime is falling across the region and it is falling because we are pursuing the policies of the Government.

"You have got to look very carefully at the rhetoric and examine the words around it. "Zero tolerance can mean different things to different people.

"Tony Blair did not say zero tolerance policing, he said zero tolerance to crime."

Among the radical new measures to combat lawlessness announced by the Government are child curfews in trouble spots to order youngsters under ten off the streets between 9pm and 6am.

Mr Pollard, known for promoting a more liberal stance on youth crime, said it was possible that child curfews could be used in the Thames Valley.

He stressed that the policy does not necessarily contradict restorative justice - his own brainchild for tackling youth crime, in which criminals are made to confront their victims. Mr Pollard said: "We should not look at the policy of curfews in isolation. Different tools are being used in different police areas and curfews may be used in the Thames Valley if the circumstances require.

"It is all all sticks and carrots. Curfews and systems such as restorative justice are very complimentary."

He added: "If you transport New York-style police over here it will not work.

"In New York they had 7,000 extra police officers trying to pull a situation back that was completely out of control. That is totally different from the situation over here.

"That is what I have been irritated about, when people say you should introduce New York-style policing over here."

Mr Pollard said he planned to push for the introduction of restorative justice, where criminals are made to meet their victims, nationwide in his role on the 12-man National Youth Justice Board. The board, set up by Home Secretary Jack Straw, will have the initial task of advising on all aspects of youth justice and developing a national standard for dealing with young offenders.

Mr Pollard said: "Crime by young people has been pretty prolific in this country in recent years and still is. The mechanisms of youth justice have been insufficient.

"The new measures will involve all agencies working together and the system will be much quicker."

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