GWENT'S Chief Constable Keith Turner says his force is cracking crime with a policy of targeting persistent criminals.

Crime is down 18.3 per cent for April to July 2001 compared with the same period last year - from 20,091 to 16,415 incidents.

Mr Turner said: "What we have been doing is actively targeting persistent criminals and making sure they go before the courts.

"When this happens crime drops dramatically because 75 per cent of crime is committed by 10 per cent of offenders.

"An example of where this has worked is Tredegar after three local active criminals have been imprisoned.

"There has been a huge reduction in violent crime and one person was committing 40 burglaries a night, which is an enormous amount.

"By taking these persistent criminals out of circulation we have seen crime tumble and we will continue to follow this course.

"Our detection rate in Gwent is 56 per cent of all crime committed and that should be enough of a warning to criminals - you are more likely to be caught."

The statistics show that violent crime in Gwent has rapidly fallen by 35.7 per cent; assaults are down by 30.8 per cent; burglaries have decreased by 25.7 per cent and vehicle crime has been reduced by 12.7 per cent.

The only blot on the copy book was an 17.8 per cent rise in low levels of disorder - a figure which has to include a high number of false and incomplete calls.

Once these calls were taken away the figure was a 6.1 per cent rise.

Mr Turner paid tribute to the local authorities and probation service for their role in "a tremendous partnership" in the fight against crime and "to my officers for all the hard work they have done.

"If these figures continue there will be 11,000 less crimes this year when compared with last year which is good news for the people of Gwent." He said the aim of Gwent Police was to help "bring about a more tranquil, harmonious and ordered society for people to live in."

He said that there is a four-year-plan in place, which started in March last year, to reduce crime by 40 per cent and make the area "a much better place to live, work and visit."