Oxfordshire's new police chief has pledged that the fight against knife crime and antisocial behaviour will continue across the county.

And Chief Supt Shaun Morley is also excited about seeing people in local neighbourhoods get to know their local bobbies.

Mr Morley, 50, has taken over from Chief Supt David McWhirter, who has retired, as Oxfordshire's police commander.

Here he tells Oxford Mail readers about his approach to some of the key issues.

MR MORLEY ON KNIFE CRIME: "WE are doing a number of things to try and combat knife crime. Officers are going into schools and passing the message about the dangers of carrying knives.

"There is the danger that if someone does pull out a knife they are just as likely to find it is turned on themselves and be a victim.

"We are very carefully using our stop and search powers to try and identify those people who are carrying knives, and where we do find people illegally in possession of them, we will take action in terms of prosecution or other appropriate disposal."

Mr Morley said the knife amnesty was a sensitive subject due to speculation as to whether knives were handed in by people likely to use them in fights.

He said: "The knife amnesty has raised public awareness on the issue of knife crime as a blight we want to stamp down on in Oxfordshire."

MR MORLEY ON NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING: HE is looking forward to seeing neighbourhood policing teams - teams of bobbies and Police Community Support Officers - working in areas across Oxfordshire.

He said: "The personal touch between police and ordinary members of the community has been lost over the years as we have had to prioritise and concentrate our resources on serious crime.

"I am excited by the neighbourhood policing programme, which gives the community the chance to see a difference.

"As we roll out neighbourhood policing over the next 18 months we will certainly be looking for feedback from the community that we have seen a change. It won't happen overnight, it depends on the recruitment of PCSOs."

MR MORLEY ON ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR: A THIRD of all crime reported to police is minor criminal damage and antisocial behaviour.

Mr Morley said: "We are putting some significant plans in place to reduce damage, graffiti and other forms of antisocial behaviour.

"Often we focus on big crimes. We need to tackle those and deal with them efficiently but equally we need to tackle issues around mindless damage, whether it be drunken youths on the way home from the pub turning over someone's pot plant in the front garden, or graffiti on walls."