The new style of community policing taps into force's greatest tradition and will allocate officers to specific areas across several towns.

And to coincide with the launch of the Community Engagement Model, local residents are being asked what issues they want to see being given priority.

Members of the public are being invited along to a series of meetings next month to find out more about the new initiative – and to make their views known.

The new system will see 24 community officers being given responsibility for their own communities in 11 different areas of Kirkcaldy, Kinghorn, Burntisland and Auchtertool.

Each area will have two dedicated officers while the town centre will have four.

The traditional style policing, which harks back to the days of bobbies on the beat, is being rolled out across Fife after a pilot scheme in Levenmouth last year proved a great success, with crime rates falling in the areas it targeted.

Kirkcaldy has been split into three areas – Central, East and North – and each one will get its own supervising officer.

The new scheme will be introduced at public meetings in each area when people will have the chance to meet their officers and speak to them about any concerns.

A list of three priorities will be then drawn up from the input, and progress in dealing with them will be reported back on at future meetings.

Anyone who cannot make it along to the meetings can also email their views in to the community officers.

Acting inspector Paul Rennie, of the Kirkcaldy Community Team, said "This will allow us to further improve our communication with our communities.

"It is an important step forward for us and in Kirkcaldy I look forward to our public meetings where community officers will address and prioritise concerns and work with the communities to deliver solutions.

"The officers have already been out around their areas, meeting community groups, schools and local businesses to make themselves known and explain what they will be doing.

"The meetings will give the public an opportunity to directly influence local issues so I would encourage them to attend.''

Looking ahead to new role ...

PC Rachael Burns (39)
Responsible for the Strathallan area of the town, taking in parts of Templehall and Bennochy.

"My partner Steven Lamb and I have been going around the area, visiting schools, community groups and businesses and just telling them what we hope to and asking what the main issues affecting the area are.

"Just putting cards through doors doesn't work and it is much better to speak to people so they can get to know you and build up a relationship.

"I am really looking forward to my new role and really taking a bit of ownership of the area and getting to know the community."

Rachael and Steven will be at Strathallan Primary on February 2.

PC Helen Hendry (32)
Responsible for the Valley area

''This scheme will really benefit the local communities and will allow us to be a lot more pro-active in dealing with problems as they are happening or even preventing them.

"We want to be much more approachable to the public and let them know that they can call us with any concerns and we will try to do our best to reach a solution. They may not always be police issues, but we will be working along with the other agencies too."

Helen and her partner Kevin Taylor will be working in the Valley area, and members of the public can meet them at Kirkcaldy YMCA on February 3.