NEW police chief John Donlon has said the drugs problem is a big issue and those who say Amersham does not have one are "not looking in the right places".

Chiltern Vale's area commander spoke out on Tuesday after joining the force in his new role. He outlined a range of crime-beating strategies including a pledge to target drug dealers.

He said they know drug addicts are committing crime on a daily basis to "feed their habit" and this is a central problem in the Chiltern Vale area.

But he said those who believe the problem is exclusive to places such as Slough and High Wycombe need to look again at seemingly drug-free suburbs like Amersham.

He said: "Amersham may have a different drugs problem but people who say there is no drugs problem are not looking in the right places."

He said they were looking at trying to deal with the problem effectively with other agencies such as referring addicts to experts in the health service who can try to tackle the cause, as well as the effect of drug-related crimes.

He added: "As a police service we do not have the facilities or resources and expertise to turn people away from drugs."

He said that in the long term the police are aiming to reduce the amount of drug abusers through education awareness and treatment, or through arrest if those options do not work.

Despite the difficulty in retaining officers, Supt Donlon also pledged to make police more visible to the public.

He stressed the need for the public and organisations such as district councils to help the police in its fight against crime Chiltern District Council has offered to help recruit more police volunteers.

He also readily admitted that in Chiltern Vale, Thames Valley Police is essentially ten officers short. He said the force was looking at ways to try to put more police back on the beat and reduce the public fear of crime.

Such initiatives, including putting Special Constables on a more professional footing and using more volunteers to carry out administrative tasks to free up officers for patrolling, have been criticised by some as "cheap policing" but he has hit back at this suggestion.

Supt Donlon, who lives in Slough, says that the idea is not to replace constables but to make sure the public see officers where they feel they belong out on the beat.

He explained: "They will not be replacing police officers but will provide a visible presence working with the police."

Summarising his plans, Supt Donlon said he will be specifically targeting problem areas such as burglary and auto crime.

And he also said they would tackle drugs and try to have a more visible presence on the streets of both towns and villages.

He said there had already been a a six-and-a-half per cent reduction in burglaries in Chiltern Vale this year, partly due to police initiatives, and they are looking to try to reduce the figure further.