AN EXTRA 200 bobbies will be on the beat by March next year, the Chief Constable of Essex announced yesterday.Roger Baker made the announcement at the launch of a poster campaign for the Days of Action operation to make hundreds of extra arrests across the county.

AN EXTRA 200 bobbies will be on the beat by March next year, the Chief Constable of Essex announced yesterday.

Roger Baker made the announcement at the launch of a poster campaign for the Days of Action operation to make hundreds of extra arrests across the county.

Mr Baker, who took over as chief constable earlier this month, is sending officers based at police headquarters onto the streets.

“The public want to see more officers on the beat, and we will put 20 extra officers on the front line next week. We will continue this until March 31, 2006 when we will have 200,” said Mr Baker.

The messages on posters to be displayed on buses across the county for six weeks aim to reassure residents the police are doing everything they can to make the county even safer, and to criminals committing crime in the county: you have two choices, stop it or you'll be staying with us.

The posters on buses will be displayed countywide for six weeks. In that time, the buses are on the roads for 18 hours a day and the messages on the buses can be read by the same person on ten separate occasions, according to research.

Operation Days of Action, launched at the start of the month, aimed at securing an average of 400 additional arrests a week, has already seen more than 1,800 arrests since its introduction, with the aim to exceed 2,000 arrests by Monday, August 1.

Mr Baker said: “The message behind this campaign is that this style of policing is here to stay. This is not a PR stunt or a one-off; this attitude will remain for all of the time I am here.

“We hope this campaign will reassure the public as well as encourage people to come forward with information and work with us to reduce crime in the county.”

Essex Police Authority chairman Robert Chambers, who jointly launched the poster campaign with Mr Baker, said: “The police authority is delighted at the start Mr Baker has made with Essex Police. I am a great believer in giving the public what they want, and this is what Mr Baker's style of policing is all about.

“This campaign is about reassuring the communities we serve and we welcome their feedback on any issues.”