PROTECTING Dorset’s most vulnerable residents and keeping people alive on our roads.

Those are Dorset Police’s new Dorset County Commander’s two top targets for the coming years.

Chief Superintendent Martin Hiles has taken over the role from Superintendent Lynn Hart.

Cutting road deaths and protecting vulnerable people – including domestic abuse victims – are high on his agenda.

“Protecting vulnerable people, saving lives and preventing injuries is our primary focus,” he said.

Chief Supt Hiles, who spent 20 years at Avon and Somerset Police before transferring to Dorset, has joined the county division from Bournemouth and Poole.

He said protecting Dorset’s most vulnerable people was ‘priority number one’ for the force.

“There is still an unacceptable attitude towards domestic abuse, here in Dorset and across the country,” he said.

“We have to get better at protecting vulnerable people, whether that’s children or people in abusive relationships.”

The new Commander said reducing the number of people killed on Dorset’s roads was another target.

“That will involve a combination of education, engineering – road design and layout – and enforcement,” he said.

“My officers will be working very closely with towns and villages on each of those elements. It’s going to be a real team effort, but one I think is worth making because we’re talking about saving lives.”

Chief Supt Hiles said cutting violent crime further and tackling drunken antisocial behaviour remained big priorities.

“We have reduced violent crime, in the county and in Weymouth and Portland, and I want to keep that going,” he said.

“People drinking excessively and getting into trouble is still something the public are really concerned about. We’ll do everything we can to tackle drink-related bad behaviour. I’ve got no intention of tolerating drunken yobbery.”

Dorset Police have announced 43 police officer posts will go this year – along with 16 more by 2013 – to try to save £2million.

Chief Supt Hiles acknowledged the ongoing economic crisis would have an impact on Dorset.

He said: “Times are tight for everyone. We have to continuously improve and find ways of working smarter with the money we have.

“We are the second lowest-funded force in the country and we do very well considering.

Despite the pressures Chief Supt stressed that Dorset County – 1,000 square miles in size and home to 400,000 residents – was ‘one of the safest places in the country’.