SURREY residents have confidence in the county's police force and think their neighbourhood team is working effectively, according to the latest policing survey. Residents throughout the county also feel safe walking outside alone at night and consider the police are doing a good job dealing with local problems. Previously called the Local Policing Plan Survey, the Neighbourhood Policing Survey is now carried out quarterly and is just one of the many ways people in Surrey are consulted to find out their priorities and opinions on policing issues, which help shape the county's policing plan every year. Regular neighbourhood panel meetings across the county also give communities in Surrey, the opportunity to influence policing in their area. Although the results from the new neighbourhood survey cannot strictly be compared to last year's Policing Plan Survey results, because a different method was used to gather the information, the results from the latest survey show are consistent with those from previous years. Of those surveyed, 91 per cent said their neighbourhood police were doing a good or fair job and 71 per cent that they were effective at working with the community to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. Sixty eight per cent were at least satisfied with the level of service provided by their local team and 73 per cent felt safe walking alone after dark. When asked about factors which influence public confidence in the police, 85 per cent agreed their neighbourhood police would treat them with respect; 78 per cent they would treat them fairly and 75 per cent that their neighbourhood police understand the issues that matter to people in their community. Sixty three per cent of residents who responded to the survey thought relations between residents and their neighbourhood police were very or fairly good. Issues frequently identified in the survey as problems were; speeding motorists (37 per cent), anti-social driving (26 per cent) and illegal parking or obstruction (22 per cent). Groups of youths hanging around on the street were considered the most problematic anti-social behaviour issue (26 per cent). These issues are all being proactively addressed by Surrey Police. Chief Constable Bob Quick said: "Neighbourhood Policing is about working with our communities and partners to tackle local concerns and make a real difference to people's lives. The positive feedback from Surrey residents in the Neighbourhood Policing Survey shows that we are successfully getting to know and supporting our local communities and I am pleased that this is reflected in people feeling safe and having confidence in the police. "The results of this survey will be used to ensure that we continue to improve our service to the public, working with our communities, the Police Authority and our partners." Chairman of the Surrey Police Authority Jim Smith added: "Most importantly these results show that a substantial majority of local people continue to have confidence in their police service. "Consultation with the public is essential to inform the Police Authority so we can be sure the police are tackling the concerns of local communities. "The Force and the Authority are committed to making the roll-out of local neighbourhood policing teams a success. "Consultation is one of the main ways we can evaluate progress, which is why these surveys will now be conducted every quarter".