BARNSLEY residents’ views are being sought on plans to boost the public’s confidence in policing and the criminal justice system.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is asking people to share their views on the policing priorities he is proposing for his first Police and Crime Plan.

Mayor Oliver Coppard took on Police and Crime Commissioner responsibilities in May this year when he was re-elected.

Since then, he has been responsible for working closely with South Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable Lauren Poultney, the council and local communities to better understand crime-related issues.

Top of the commitment list is to improve trust and confidence in the police and criminal justice system, reducing antisocial behaviour and knife crime, and cutting the number of road fatalities.

Mayor Coppard said: “I want to shape the future of policing in South Yorkshire with our communities, so I’m asking as many people as possible to complete the survey we’ve developed, so I can make the best decisions for our communities.

“When I was re-elected earlier this year, I said that everyone in South Yorkshire has the right to feel safe and secure, whoever they are and wherever they are, and I am committed to making that a reality.”

Barnsley’s crime rate is 105.69 per 1,000 residents, including a residential burglary rate of 6.03 per 1,000 people, England’s ninth highest.

However antisocial behaviour - which encompasses everything from illegal off-road biking to causing alarm of distress to people - remains the most-committed crime in Barnsley.

Figures obtained by the Chronicle show a total of 30,297 incidents were reported in the town last year.

“Following the consultation the responses will be reviewed and then used to shape the Police and Crime Plan, which will be published before the end of March,” Mayor Coppard added.

The consultation runs until January 31 and can be found online.