ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour, dog fouling and traffic issues are the key problems people in Barton, Sandhills and Risinghurst want police to tackle.

More than 200 residents of the Oxford estates were polled by officers to set their priorities for the 12 months ahead.

In the past these have included tackling drugs and cars speeding through the Oxford estates.

But now the police team – who recently won Thames Valley Police’s highest accolade, the Shrievalty Merit Award – have a new set of priorities.

Sgt Jim Holmes said there had been a marked change in what residents wanted tackling.

He said: “We have done a lot of work on the visibility of drug use on the streets, and I think it is always going to be an area where we receive intelligence from the community. Although people must not think it is a priority in the area, that does not mean we are not going to tackle it.

“I think over the years we as a neighbourhood team have gained a lot more confidence from the community.”

He said the work of the Neighbourhood Action Group, a forum which brings together officers and residents, was a key way of gauging their concerns.

Some 203 residents responded to the survey with 14 saying they had no issues in the area, up from six per cent last year. Residents have previously complained about the anti-social riding of mini motorbikes around the estates.

Sgt Holmes said rather than ban the riders they have set out to work with young people, even buying a trailer off eBay and taking the machines to a site in Didcot.

He said: “The priorities for the neighbourhoods regularly change according to feedback from the community. But these official public consultations are a good way to speak to people one on one and gives everyone the opportunity to get the message across. It’s about finding solutions.”

The new priorities will not be the only change to the neighbourhood policing team.

Inspector Ned Qureshi, who has been leading the team since neighbourhood policing was introduced, will be replaced by Marc Tarbit, inspector for the Cowley neighbourhood teams.

Inspector Qureshi will be moving to work with Oxford police’s core response team.