NORTH Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner has unveiled her policing plan – and pledged to make maintaining frontline police jobs her priority.

Julia Mulligan has recommended the police precept  in 2013/14 stays the same, in a bid to help hard-pressed council tax payers.

However by reviewing other areas where savings could be made she said cuts to frontline police could be avoided.

She said: “One of my priorities from now will be to try and maintain frontline policing as far as possible. "

She said funding had already been allocated to the force until 2014-2015, but after that the force would have to make additional savings.

They would be looking to do this by working more closely with neighbouring police forces and other agencies in North Yorkshire such as local authorities and fire and rescue services.

“It’s not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination and we will have to make some difficult decisions," she said.

"Collaboration with regional policing and local partners will be required.

 “Rather than salami-slicing, or simply pulling resources, it will involve looking intelligently at how we do things.”

Mrs Mulligan is now appealing to the public to give their feedback on the draft proposal, before she submits the plan for publication at the end of March.

She says her plan aims to reduce crime across the county, focus on victims of crime and ensure people feel safe in their homes and on the streets.

People can see the plan and give their feedback on the website - www.crimeplan.org.uk, via one of Mrs Mulligan’s surgeries or at a series of public consultations planned around the county.

She will also be undertaking webchats over the next six weeks – the first one will be on Monday, February 4 at 12pm and can be accessed through www.crimeplan.org.uk