BLAENAU Gwent could get its own community safety officer, in a bid to help police and council fight crime.

Violent crimes in the borough rose between April 2000 and March 2001, new figures show and drug offences continue to cause concern across the borough.

Offences of drug dealing in 2000-2001 were 203 compared with 189 the previous year. But the level of recorded crime overall has dropped - from 8.665 to 8,324 - with credit being given to proactive policing.

Now council bosses say a community safety officer would build on that and allow a more co-ordinated ap-proach between various agencies in the fight against crime.

Executive member for resources, Councillor John Rogers, said: "We've identified a need for a full-time community safety officer to co-ordinate and fully develop projects with our partnership agencies."

Most local authorities in Wales employ a community safety officer or at least officers with specific duties relating to community safety matters.

If such as officer is appointed in Blaenau Gwent, the role would include: Improving joint working between council and police Taking part in initiatives such as the drug initiative launched in the borough last year Raising awareness about crime issues with residents Applying for Assembly grants available to reduce crime which, in the past, the authority have missed out on.

Chief Inspector Simon Prince, of Ebbw Vale police station, said: "If we had someone to co-ordinate the various roles in the borough then we could improve the work that is already being done."

He added: "Violent crime is now being pushed down and we intend to continue that. "Although recorded violent crime has risen in 2000-01, a large number of incidents are, in fact, attributed to the way in which we tackle violent crimes at an early stage. "A lot of the violent crimes tend to be at the lower end of the scale and serious assaults or sexual assaults have actually decreased by 40%."

The full picture on violent crime and other offences for 2001-2002 will not be known for several weeks yet as figures continue to be compiled until the end of April.

But they already show violent crime has dropped by 25% across the board and the value of all crime from burglaries and thefts in Blaenau Gwent is down, £1,995,000 compared to £2,735,000 for the same period in 1998-1999.