POLICE in York have urged residents to take up some specific New Year's resolutions for 2017.

Superintendent Adam Thomson, neighbourhood policing commander for York and Selby said he wanted to make life more difficult for criminals in the new year, and the public could help police do that.

Supt Thomson said: "There are two New Year resolutions that I urge everybody in our area to take on board this year. The first is to support North Yorkshire Police’s on-going ‘Call it in’ campaign. If you see someone or something suspicious in your community, report the information to the police by calling 101. This type of information, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is absolutely crucial to effective policing. So please don’t hesitate – do the right thing and call it in."

"The second resolution is a good old-fashioned crime prevention tip that has stood the test of time – make sure you lock your doors and windows on your property and vehicles. I know this advice may sound overly simplistic in this technologically advanced world we live in, but you would be amazed how many times people score an own goal."

Supt Thomson said the force was "doing everything we can to keep criminals at bay", but hoped residents could "do the same by removing obvious temptations away from opportunistic offenders".

He said: "By working together and being more vigilant in our communities and at home, let’s make 2017 a safe and secure one."

Supt Thomson, who joined the force through the direct entry scheme after working in the RAF and for the Ministry of Defence, said the force would also aim to continue to disrupt criminals who visit North Yorkshire from outside the region.

He said: "As we have seen in the past 12 months, the level of proactive policing – where neighbourhood teams have been working in tandem with the Road Crime Team, Roads Policing Group and the new Rural Taskforce – is set to increase further still. A part of ‘Operation Hawk’, we will continue to turn up the heat on cross-border criminals who mistakenly think they can target the city and rural areas like ours.

"Offenders who operate in our city are quickly realising that North Yorkshire Police is watching their every move. They are constantly having to look over their shoulder because they know we will stop their vehicles and disrupt their activities, whether it’s during the day time or at night. For this year and beyond, there will be no let-up in our relentless pursuit of those who try to inflict misery on our residents."